MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Multiple gunmen opened fire in a large crowd in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, leaving at two people dead, including a teenage boy, and wounding a dozen others, authorities said.
Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys said gunfire erupted around 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the city’s nightlife district. Police believe one of the victims was targeted but that several people began firing in the densely crowded area after initial shots rang out.
“One individual got targeted and then an exchange of gunfire took place,” he said. “When that exchange erupted, multiple people in the crowd … pulled their own weapons and started discharging.”
Authorities identified the two dead victims as Jeremiah Morris, 17, and Shalanda Williams, 43. As of Sunday, Oct. 5, five victims remained in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and seven others were in stable condition. Seven of the victims are under 20 years of age, and the youngest is 16, Graboys said.
Investigators were working to determine a motive for the shooting and identify possible suspects. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Montgomery City Council President Cornelius Calhoun pledged $50,000 for information leading to arrests.
“We are bringing every resource to bear,” Graboys told reporters, adding that local authorities have been in contact with U.S. Marshals, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “We are not going to stop until we have this case solved.”
Police chief: Firearms had ‘high magazine capacities’
Officials said law enforcement officers from multiple agencies were within running distance of the shooting. Responding officers rushed at least one victim to the hospital and took multiple people into “investigative custody,” including several who were armed, Graboys said. Authorities have not said whether anyone has been charged in connection with the shooting.
Investigators at the scene discovered multiple weapons they believe were used in the deadly gunfight. All of the firearms had “high magazine capacities,” Graboys said.
Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed called the shooting an “atrocity” and urged people with any knowledge about the incident to contact law enforcement.
The shooting occurred as the city drew thousands of people for the Alabama State Fair, football watch parties, and Alabama State University’s homecoming. None of those events had any involvement in the weekend shooting, Reed said.
“Innocent people were harmed last night and most were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. “This could have been any one of us.”
