What had been a near perfect, chamber-of-commerce weekend in Montgomery turned into a nightmare in a matter of seconds late Saturday night, as gunfire erupted in a crowded downtown area sending people diving under cars and into restaurants for cover. Two people were killed, including a 17-year-old, and 10 others were injured.
As of late Sunday, no arrests had been made and the city and CrimeStoppers were offering a $50,000 reward for information on the shooters.
The shooting, which happened around 11:30 Saturday evening, stemmed from a personal disagreement, Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys said during a Sunday news conference. It came at one of the worst possible times—when the downtown area was packed with thousands of tourists and locals during a major weekend of events in Montgomery.
One of those shot was the intended target of the original shooter, Graboys said. At least two other people in the crowd were armed and also began firing in return.
The shooting spurred mass chaos among the thousands of people still downtown. Several minutes after the shooting, multiple witnesses told APR, frightened people still hid under cars and behind light poles. Others went streaming into nearby restaurants and businesses—a local lounge owner told WSFA-TV that he was in his office when dozens of people came streaming into his business, screaming, and seeking cover.
When the gunfire finally stopped, five people, including a 16-year-old, had life-threatening injuries. Two others—17-year-old Jeremiah Morris and 43-year-old Shalanda Williams—were killed.
While some, in the immediate aftermath, have questioned whether enough police were on site to handle the large crowd, Graboys said at least five officers were near the shooters when they opened fire.
“If someone (pulls a gun and starts shooting) with an officer in plain sight, I’m not sure they can be reacclimated to our society,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said.
For a city that has struggled with violence—and has, of late, made strides to reduce gun violence around the city—it was a significant step backwards and one certain to attract attention from officials around the state, and potentially nationally.
It came as thousands of people were roaming around the downtown tourist area following a college football game between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University. In addition, Alabama State University held its annual homecoming game, drawing some 25,000 people. And then there was the opening of the Alabama National Fair a few miles from downtown. The city, seeking to capitalize on the tourists in town, opened a new mini-ferris wheel downtown and there were a number of events in the downtown area.
It had all gone extremely well until the first gunshot. But all of that is now forgotten, as the shooting has, rightfully, drawn the attention. State and local leaders chimed in, offering prayers and expressing anger.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, while expressing sympathy for the victims, was openly critical of city leaders, claiming that they have refused to acknowledge that the city has “a major problem.”
Reed pushed back on those comments, reminding Marshall that the city has been working for months with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement entities around the state to curtail the gun violence that has plagued Montgomery. Reed also invited Marshall to work with him, saying he would gladly work with Marshall to identify the issues and hopefully address other issues that can only be handled by state-level lawmakers.
