Officials in Birmingham discuss the mental health impact of deadly mass shootings

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Birmingham police say they have identified the weapons used in the deadly mass shooting in Five Points South, but cannot yet release specific information.

There is no current information on the suspects, but Crime Stoppers continues to receive tips.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald says this is a difficult time for Birmingham police officers after so many people were killed and injured Saturday night, but those officers are also determined to bring justice to these victims and their families.

Fitzgerald says mental health resources are available for officers with borderline personality disorder and that it’s okay to not be okay. For many of these men and women, this is the third time this year that they have committed a quadruple murder in addition to other crimes. Fitzgerald says it can be overwhelming, but he adds that these officers are committed to making a difference in their community, and that includes finding out who opened fire on 21 people Saturday night. He adds that there are resources such as peer support and counseling.

“We have a bad habit of compartmentalizing what we see. What happens is that if you don’t talk about what you saw, it’s bound to come to light at some point, and that happens in different ways. Fortunately, we have resources at the Birmingham Police Department, we have mental health resources that we can utilize,” Fitzgerald said.

He says officers need to take advantage of the help available to them because what they have seen recently is a major challenge for anyone.

He also asks anyone with information about the shooting to contact him or Crime Stoppers.

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