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.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
