A gunman or gunmen opened fire on a man in a southwest Birmingham neighborhood Friday afternoon.

Birmingham police were dispatched at 1:45 p.m. to the 1000 block of Elm Street on a report of multiple shots fired. While they were en route, they learned someone had been struck.

They arrived on the scene to find the victim unresponsive in the roadway, just outside of his vehicle. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The city’s gunfire detection system – Shot Spotter – indicated more than 30 rounds fired, but police put down more than 50 evidence markers in the street.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the preliminary investigation suggests the victim was specifically targeted.

The deadly shooting comes less than 24 hours after another homicide, which was almost identical to today’s slaying.

On Thursday night, a 37-year-man was in his vehicle outside his family home when someone fired numerus rounds into his vehicle, killing him.

Friday’s victim was also sitting in his vehicle outside his home when someone unleashed the barrage of gunfire. Fitzgerald said it’s likely there were multiple shooters this afternoon.

“This is identical to last night and its what we say all the time – we’re dealing with a criminal element that doesn’t mind what time of day or if you’re in front of your house,’’ he said. “We’re encouraging everyone to be mindful of people, places, and behavior.”

The gunfire happened just one block of busy Jefferson Avenue.

“Jefferson Avenue is a major thoroughfare,’’ Fitzgerald said. “We’re extremely lucky we only lost one person. We hate we lost him, this could have been far worse.”

“It’s alarming, and right before Mother’s Day, he said, “So we have two mothers who have to deal with the loss of their son right before Mother’s Day.”

The victim is Birmingham’s 44th homicide so far this year. Of those, one was an officer-involved shooting by an outside agency and three others have been ruled justifiable.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 59 homicides, including the 44 in Birmingham.

As police investigated this homicide, officers were dispatched to another in the 1500 block of 19th Street North.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.