Alabama Shooting: Teen and woman killed, 12 others injured in Montgomery
A mass shooting in downtown Montgomery late Saturday night left two people dead, including a teen, and perhaps 12 others injured.
According to Montgomery police, it happened around 11:30 p.m. near Bibb Street and Commerce Street, when two groups started shooting at each other in the centre of the throng.
The latest updates
• Jeremiah Morris, 17, and Shalanda Williams, 43, were slain during the shooting. They are presumed to be Montgomery residents.
• Police suspect one of the victims was targeted. When the gunfire started, others in the crowd took out their firearms and started firing.
• There are now five persons with life-threatening injuries.
• Seven people were shot under the age of 20, with the youngest being 16 years old.
• There is a prize of at least $50,000 for information leading to an arrest.
What we know
Thousands of people visited the city this weekend for the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic, the Alabama National Fair, and Alabama State University’s homecoming game. The city stated that the shooting was unrelated to these incidents.
Police reported that 14 persons were shot, two of whom died. Jeremiah Morris (17) and Shalanda Williams (43) were slain. Five of the injured have life-threatening conditions. Seven of those shot are under the age of 20, with the youngest being 16 years old.
Police believe one of the 14 people shot was targeted. When the gunfire started, others in the crowd pulled out weapons and began firing.
The police chief gives new information below.
The people who did what they did, who are responsible for opening fire on each other like that, did not care about the people around them when they did it,” Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys told WSFA. “And now we have 14 people who have been shot, two of them, like I stated earlier, deceased. We will not rest until we get you.”
The police chief said there were at least five police officers within running distance of the shooting when it happened. He noted that while the manpower of his team was there, it does not take long to unload a weapon.
“I don’t think downtown Montgomery is unsafe. I think we have careless and reckless people who did something very stupid last night that cost two people their lives and multiple people impacts on their lives,” Reed said.
The weapons used in the shooting have been recovered and Graboys said that they had high-capacity magazines.
“Do not forget who is responsible for the shootings,” Graboys said.
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Reward offered
Police have taken people in for questioning, but it is not clear if any of them are suspects at this time. No arrests have been made.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said this is a moment where the city has to look at who will be productive members of society, who wants to be saved and who can be saved. He noted shooting in the middle of a crowd is like the “wild, wild west.”
“You lose innocent people over something very simple,” Reed said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery Police at 334-625-2831 or Central Alabama CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867). People are also encouraged to send any video evidence to starcenter@montgomeryal.gov.
There is a reward of at least $50,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Reed said this isn’t about “war money,” and that people should feel compelled to do the right thing and put these “cowboys” behind bars.
Graboys said no information will be released that will compromise the investigation.