‘We’re Done Playing These Games’: Birmingham Leaders React to Arrest in Mass Shooting on Southside

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times A 22-year-old Fairfield man is behind bars, accused of killing six people in Birmingham in 72 hours, including four people in the mass shooting outside Hush lounge in Five Points South. Damien Laron McDaniel III is charged with capital murder of two or more people in the massacre that killed four people on Sept. 21 and with 17 counts of first-degree assault for those who were injured, police announced late Wednesday. “Today, our city can breathe a little easier,” said Birmingham City Councilor Crystal Smitherman. “But know this: to anyone who wishes to harm others in our city, it’s going to get more uncomfortable for you each and every day. We’re done playing these games.” On Wednesday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement, “After the horrific shooting at Five Points South, we vowed that our priority would be to find, capture, and arrest every person responsible for this heinous and brazen mass shooting …  and this is what we did. Today was a major step toward justice.” Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond and his deputies; the sheriff’s office; homicide detectives and federal partners, the mayor said, “worked around the clock to...