Birmingham mayor warns violators after Alabama bans gun conversion devices
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation Wednesday outlawing Glock switches and other gun conversion devices, an approval that comes after a deadly year in which the devices were used in multiple mass shootings.
The devices convert semi-automatic guns to fire like a fully automatic weapon. A bipartisan coalition pushed the Alabama legislation after several mass shootings last year, including the deaths of four people outside a Birmingham nightclub in September.
“While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets,” Ivey said in a statement.
Hours after the bill was signed, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin issued a direct warning to what he called the “switch boys” that they will face prosecution.
“We are sending a signal to the switch boys that we are not messing around about this topic,” Woodfin said in a video on social media. In a statement beginning “dear switch boys,” he added that police are “ready to put case on all of y’all.
Woodfin announced a $1,000 award for people who provide information that leads to a credible arrest of someone who possesses a Glock switch.
“These devices only hurt people, particularly innocent people. We had enough of this in 2024,” Woodfin said.
The Birmingham mayor, who lost a brother and nephew in shootings, has expressed frustration over gun violence in his city.
Police say the devices produce a rapid, hard-to-control spray of bullets that increase the number of casualties during a shooting.
The mayors of Alabama’s 10 largest cities also issued a statement thanking Ivey for signing the bill.
Ivey had called for its passage in her State of the State address.
Possessing or selling the devices would be a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The measure takes effect immediately. Alabama joins 23 states that already have laws banning the devices.
Alabama has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the U.S. In 2022, there were 1,278 gun-related deaths in the state, which was the fourth-highest rate in the country, ranking below Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.
Chinese military stages drills around Taiwan to warn ‘external forces’
The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales, and a statement by Japan's prime minister saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the Gaza ceasefire
President Trump could use the face-to-face at his Mar-a-Lago estate to look for ways to speed up the peace process, as Israel's leader has been accused of not pushing his side to move fast enough.
‘Bomb cyclone’ forecasted to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and dangerous travel
A 'bomb cyclone' is intensifying severe winter weather for millions of people across the U.S. The system is expected to knock out power and disrupt holiday travel.
Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says
The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites on Sunday from a launchpad in eastern Russia.
Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania’s Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza
TikToks are everywhere (well, except countries like Australia and India, where they've been banned.) We talk to the creators of some of the year's most popular reels from the Global South.
