Alabama police reported that at least four people are dead and 18 injured in a shooting spree in Birmingham.

 Policewomen and media report at least four people killed and 18 more wounded in a shooting Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama. Most of the wounded had wounds so serious that they could be fatal, Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said at a news conference several hours after after the incident that occurred in what he called one of the city's most popular entertainment districts.

Police believe that multiple individuals fired shots into a large crowd of people who were standing outside near Magnolia Avenue in the Five Points South neighborhood, according to police.

It happened at 11:05 p.m. CST.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced two men and one woman dead at the scene, according to police. When officers arrived, they found the victims on a sidewalk, unconscious. Each had multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

A fourth victim, another man, died after being taken to University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where staff pronounced him dead. Police also identified him as an adult male.

Police detectives believe that the shooting was not random. They said in a statement that they believe it "stemmed from an isolated incident where multiple victims were caught in the crossfire." They are still working to determine who the shooting intended to target.

No one was in custody early Sunday morning, but Fitzgerald told reporters that police "will do everything we possibly can to make sure we uncover, identify and hunt down whoever is responsible for preying on our people this morning."

Police say they are working together in the investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They have called upon the public to call the homicide division in Birmingham Police Department or, for anonymity, the Crime Stoppers with information. The latter may offer up to $5,000 in reward for information, police say.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Campus is located in the Five Points South neighborhood, which is the nightlife central part of the city. A large number of restaurants, bars, and live music venues fill the area and get highly crowded especially on weekend nights.