Three men were killed and another critically injured in three separate Birmingham shootings in less than three hours Thursday night.

The spate of violence brought the city’s homicide tally for 2024 to 144 slayings, tying Birmingham’s deadliest year in recent memory, which was in 2022.

Until 2022, the highest number recorded in recent memory was 141 in 1991. The city ended 2023 with 135 homicides.

Birmingham’s all-time record for homicides was in 1933 with 148 killings.

The city’s population today is a little under 197,000 people. In 1933, Birmingham had just under 269,000 people.

Of the city’s homicides this year, 10 have been ruled justifiable and aren’t deemed criminal. One of the deadly shootings was an officer-involved shooting, and two others happened in previous years but the victims died in 2024.

“Violent offenders have shown us they have no regard for the lives of our community members,’’ said Birmingham police spokesman Officer Truman Fitzgerald.

“Echoing the words of Interim Chief Michael Pickett, we have to make it uncomfortable for violent offenders in our city.”

“This starts by our community continuing to step up and provide tips, which they have done in many investigations this year,’’ he said, “and BPD doing our part acting quickly on these tips arresting these violent offenders.”

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Friday identified one of the slain men as Justin Lee Henry Grant. He was 33.

The other two homicide victims remain unidentified, said Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates.

Thursday’s bloodshed began at 3:51 p.m. at Park at Wood Station apartments. That location is in the 6000 block of Wood Station Drive, which is off First Avenue South in Woodlawn.

Grant was found inside an SUV that had been peppered with gunfire. He was pronounced dead inside the vehicle on the scene at 4:11 p.m.

Fitzgerald said the victim was ambushed, possibly by multiple shooters. At least 15 to 20 rounds were fired, if not more, he said.

Dozens of friends and family members huddled outside the yell crime scene tape, hugging and crying.

No arrests have been announced in the brazen, targeted attack.

At 6:30 p.m., East Precinct officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 4400 block of 41st Place North, which is the Inglenook community.

Officers went to the back area of an abandoned house where they found a man shot and lying unresponsive in the driveway. He was pronounced dead at 7p.m.

Police found a second victim inside the house following a search of the area. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 p.m.

Officers at the scene found a third man who was then detained by authorities.

Responding officers discovered a fourth man walking in the area and detained him as well, Fitzgerald said.

A stolen vehicle was recovered at the scene.

“Right now, we are unsure of who is who – whether the victims were originally suspects; did the victims fire shots?” Fitzgerald said Thursday night. “This is a scene that is going to take time and time to uncover.”

While investigators were still on the Inglenook scene, West Precinct officers were dispatched at 6:45 p.m. on a Shot Spotter alert in the 300 block of 25th Street S.W.

Once in that neighborhood, officers found multiple shell casings and a man unresponsive in the roadway.

He was rushed to UAB Hospital where he immediately underwent surgery. His injuries are life-threatening.

Fitzgerald said details surrounding the shooting are limited.

Anyone with information in any of the shootings is asked to call detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.