2,164 Gunshots Were Fired in One Birmingham Neighborhood in One Year

Shotspotter detected 2,164 shots fired during 2023 in the East Lake neighborhood, Mayor Randall Woodfin told the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday.

“That’s unacceptable,” Woodfin said.

“The most glaring (problem) in this neighborhood is shooting into occupied dwellings, where people have over 40 ways to easily drive into this historic neighborhood, shoot at a house, and drive out. By the time we respond, the person is long gone. But we know they’re shooting because of our Shotspotter.”

That 2,164 shots detected is an average of about six shots fired per day. Many of those are shots fired into houses or cars by shooters driving through the neighborhood, Woodfin said.

That’s just in the East Lake neighborhood, not the entire East Lake community that includes South East Lake, North East Lake and Wahouma, Woodfin said.

It’s part of a litany of crime issues in East Lake that have been out of control, he said.

Woodfin said the city has been cracking down on illegal dumping on Division Avenue, prostitution on First Avenue North, drug dealing and speeding on Second Avenue North.

Woodfin recently announced the Safe Streets Initiative, a pilot plan to shut down street access to limit drivers coming into the East Lake neighborhood to shoot at houses and cars.

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