Mulga Mayor Keith Varner is sounding the alarm over repeated gunfire near Bayview Lake, saying residents have reported bullets striking homes and roadside signs while waiting as long as an hour for a deputy to show up. Varner is now calling on law enforcement to investigate the reports, which he says have left people in the small Jefferson County town fearing for their safety.
According to WBRC, residents say the gunfire near Bayview Lake is putting their safety at risk, with bullets striking homes in the area. Varner said the complaints come in at all hours of the night, and that people calling for help have been left waiting far too long. “We call the sheriff’s department. We waited 45 minutes. Nobody showed up,” Varner said, describing what he called a pattern of slow response from deputies, who residents say can take 45 minutes to an hour to arrive after a 911 call.
Bullet Holes in Road Signs Raise Fears for Drivers
Varner pointed to roadside signs near the lake that he says are already marked with bullet holes, warning that the placement puts drivers at risk. He noted the signs sit directly in line with the road, meaning a stray round passing through one could strike a motorist rounding a curve. The mayor also described reported close calls involving bullets flying into nearby homes, raising concerns that people may be firing weapons across the waterway without regard for who or what is on the other side.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, however, told the outlet it has not received any reports about the gunfire concerns Varner is describing. That gap between what residents say they are experiencing and what has formally reached law enforcement is part of why Varner says he wants deputies to take a closer look, including what he described as running the numbers on the guns involved as part of any investigation.
Mayor Warns of Economic Toll on Small Town
Beyond the immediate safety risk, Varner said the ongoing gunfire could discourage businesses from investing in Mulga, with potential business owners possibly reconsidering plans to set up shop in town after hearing about the shooting. For a small community working to attract investment, the mayor framed the issue as both a public safety and economic development problem that needs an answer.
County property records cited by the station show that some of the land near Bayview Lake is owned by U.S. Steel, though it remains unclear whether the reported gunfire is occurring on that property or elsewhere nearby. WBRC said it had reached out to U.S. Steel for comment and was still awaiting a response.
Bayview Lake has drawn law enforcement attention before. In February 2020, Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies found a body near Mulga Loop Road by the lake, which the county coroner later identified as 18-year-old Sean Caribe Avant Jr., a Birmingham teen who had been reported missing, according to ABC 3340. The outlet separately reported in September that violent crime across Jefferson County was down 33 percent through August, according to the sheriff, though it's unclear how that countywide trend intersects with the specific concerns Varner is raising in Mulga.
Gunfire concerns have surfaced elsewhere in Alabama recently as well. ABC 3340's sister outlet, AL.com reported that one person was taken into custody and another was being sought after shots were fired near the Lake Martin Beach Club. For now, Varner's push in Mulga centers on getting an official investigation opened, something he says has yet to happen despite the mounting complaints from his constituents.
