Downtown Montgomery Rocked by Deadly Shootout Late Saturday Night

A shooting spree erupted late Saturday in downtown Montgomery, leaving two people dead and more than a dozen wounded. The city awoke Sunday trying to grasp what led to such senseless carnage in a crowded entertainment district.

Authorities say the gunfire broke out around 11:30 p.m. in the area of Bibb Street and Commerce Street, where crowds lingered after a major weekend of events.

Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys described the gun battle as a clash between two parties in a crowd. “This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd,” he told reporters. He added that the shooters “did not care about the people around them when they did it.”

Investigators believe one of the 14 people shot was targeted first, and as gunfire erupted, others drew weapons and returned fire. In all, fourteen people were struck. Two died. The dead are identified as 17-year-old Jeremiah Morris and 43-year-old Shalanda Williams.

Among the injured, five remain in life-threatening condition, and nine have non-life-threatening wounds. Two juvenile males are among those hurt, one seriously. Seven of the victims are under age 20; the youngest is 16.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed went hard after the perpetrators. He confirmed police units were within 50 feet of both sides when the shooting began. In a statement, he said:

“To have a heinous event like this take place prior to midnight in a busy part of our entertainment district is reckless and selfish… You don’t pull out a gun and shoot in a crowd of people.”

Chief Graboys, visibly shaken, voiced both grief and resolve:

“My heart is weeping for the families. I’m also going to say that I am incredibly angry … the people … who are responsible … did not care about the people around them when they did it.”

He pledged that investigators would use “every detective … every bit of evidence” to bring those responsible to justice.

The shooting occurred amid a weekend packed with major events: Alabama State University’s homecoming, the Alabama National Fair, and the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic game. Thousands were in downtown and around the stadium district.

Some witnesses described scenes of panic. Brandon Burnham, the owner of nearby Paradigm Lounge, said he heard “a ton of shots” and saw people running and collapsing on sidewalks.

Law enforcement said they have recovered multiple weapons and shell casings. They also confirmed the use of high-capacity magazines in the firearms used.

Several individuals are being questioned, though authorities said it’s too early to say if any are the shooters. No arrests had been made by Sunday morning.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall took to social media to express his condolences, while offering a warning about the capital’s crime problem. “My deepest sympathies are extended to the victims and families of those affected by the senseless violence that took place in downtown Montgomery last night,” said Marshall. “These events underscore, once again, that our capital city is in crisis. The blame lies with those who carelessly pull the triggers. I continue to be troubled by the city leadership's stubborn refusal to acknowledge that they have a serious problem. While I believe that local law enforcement is doing the best they can, the people of Montgomery deserve leaders who are competent, accountable, and committed to restoring law and order. As a resident of Montgomery myself, I remain committed to our efforts to turn the city around and to revising the conversation about the state's authority over its capital.”

At a noon press conference on Sunday, Mayor Reed praised the response to the shooting by Montgomery police, and acknowledged that crime is a major issue in the city. “I don’t know a major city in the State, and I talk with their mayors, who’d say crime is not an issue.” When asked about the Attorney General’s comment, Reed, visibly offended, said, “I don ' t need anybody lecturing me about crime. I don’t need that kind of sideline commentary. I need solutions. We’ve done our part.”

Reed went on to say that, “We're not stubborn to the facts that people handle disagreements very poorly, which results in why we're here today. But to say that there's been a refusal is just a lack of awareness, lack of information or education. But I'd be more than happy to talk with him or his staff about what we've been doing and to talk about ways that we can collaborate, not only to make Montgomery safer, but to make the State of Alabama safer.”

Chief Graboys emphasized the need to remain focused on the perpetrators. “Do not forget who’s responsible for this shorting—the people who pulled those triggers,” he said. “They pulled those triggers. They hurt those people. That's who's at fault in this, and that's who we're going after. And we can't let as a community, as a police department, as law enforcement officers, we cannot let anything sway us or distract us from that purpose.”

As recently as late June, Governor Kay Ivey touted the significant decline in Montgomery’s crime rates—30% for violent incidents, 19% overall—which she and others attributed to the first year’s success of the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit. MACS, made up of officers from ALEA, City and County police departments, ATF and the AG’s office, began operations in June, 2024. Ivey used that opportunity to commend the Legislature for passing large portions of her Secure Alabama Safety Package in the last session.

Ivey has been a proponent of expanding the MACS model to other cities in the State, most notably Birmingham. Multiple sources have told ALPolitics.com that there has been resistance to this from both Birmingham and some Jefferson County officials, which is why no significant progress has been made towards expanding MACS thus far.

At press time, Ivey’s office had not released a statement about the Montgomery shootings.

Police have urged anyone with information — even the smallest detail — to come forward. Tip lines include 334-625-2831 and Central Alabama CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).

A reward of at least $50,000 has been posted for information leading to an arrest.

Sunday’s press conference may be seen on the WAKA Facebook page HERE or the WSFA Facebook page HERE.