One dead, two injured in Alabama church shooting

WASHINGTON - One person died and two others were injured after a shooting at a church in Vestavia Hills in the US state of Alabama on Thursday evening, reported Xinhua.

Vestavia Hills police said they received a call of an active shooter at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church at approximately 6:22 p.m. local time (2322 GMT).

Police chief Shane Ware told reporters that three people were shot. One victim died, and two others were being treated at a hospital. A suspect, who has not been named, is in custody.

Vestavia Hills is a suburb in the Birmingham Metropolitan area.

According to the latest data from Gun Violence Archive, the United States has suffered 267 mass shootings since the start of the year, with more than 20,000 lives lost to gun violence.

Shannon Watts, an American gun violence prevention activist and the founder of Moms Demand Action, urged politicians to take concrete action to address the issue on Thursday night.

"If thoughts and prayers prevented gun violence, Americans wouldn't be shot in places of worship," Watts tweeted.

A group of bipartisan US senators has recently reached a narrow gun safety deal amid public disappointment about political inaction.

The plan includes measures to crack down on criminals who straw purchase and traffic guns, strengthen criminal background check requirements for gun buyers younger than 21, and fund mental health services.

A straw purchase occurs when an individual buys a firearm for someone who is not legally permitted to own one.

Both Democrats and Republicans touted the deal as a victory. Still, it fell short of the White House's proposals to ban assault weapons and raise the minimum age of purchasing certain firearms from 18 to 21, among other things. -BERNAMA