 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for events .(October 2025) |
| 2025 Montgomery shooting | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 32°22′44.2272″N86°18′38.574″W / 32.378952000°N 86.31071500°W |
| Date | October 4, 2025 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, shootout |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 12 |
On October 4, 2025, two people were killed and 12 others were injured when two groups of people opened fire on each other in a crowd in Downtown Montgomery, Alabama, United States. [1]
At the time of the attack, the downtown area of Montgomery was "crowded" due to visitors being in the city for the annual Alabama National Fair and a college football game between HBCU rivals Tuskegee Golden Tigers and Morehouse Maroon Tigers, which had recently concluded when gunfire broke out. Multiple attractions, including a Ferris wheel, were set up throughout downtown for the fair. [2]
At approximately 11:30 p.m. EDT, rival gunmen, believed to be targeting one of the victims, opened fire at each other in a crowd in Downtown Montgomery near the intersection of Bibb Street and Commerce Street. One person is believed to have opened fire first, prompting multiple people to pull out firearms and return fire.
Police patrols were within 50 ft (15 m) of the location of the incident when gunfire broke out and quickly responded, but no one was taken into custody for the incident. [3]
Fourteen people were shot in the incident, of whom two were killed. Montgomery residents Jeremiah Morris, aged 17, and Shalanda Williams, aged 43, were killed in the exchange of gunfire. Five surviving victims suffered life-threatening injuries and seven of the victims were under the age of 20, with the youngest victim being 16 years of age. [4]
Multiple individuals were suspected of opening fire in the crowd, but no suspects were immediately apprehended. A $50,000 reward was offered for information that helps lead to the arrest of a suspect by Montgomery mayor Steven Reed. [5] Montgomery police chief James Graboys said that he believed one of the victims was targeted in the attack. [6] Graboys also explained that the police department was working with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, FBI, and ATF to identify and arrest the suspects. [7]
Montgomery mayor Steven Reed said that those who were responsible were not reflective of Montgomery and vowed that he would make examples out of the perpetrators. [5] Reed also rejected the idea of deploying the Alabama National Guard to combat crime, stating that he did not believe it was an effective use of the guard and that he believed that "law enforcement professionals can handle that along with our community leaders and other initiatives we have going on that are already showing progress in that area". [8]
On October 7, the Montgomery City Council voted unanimously to suspend the downtown's entertainment district designation indefinitely in the wake of the shooting after hearing concerns from local business owners about the economic impact of violence in the area. Councilman Andrew Szymanski cited the lack of enforcement of a city ordinance which requires alcoholic beverages to be carried in designated green cups in entertainment districts as a cause for violence in the downtown area. The council also announced that they would discuss the implementation of a citywide youth curfew at the following council meeting. [9]
Alabama governor Kay Ivey condemned the attack, commenting that "Alabamians lost their lives at the hands of thugs in downtown Montgomery this weekend." Ivey said that she was looking to deploy Capitol troopers to key downtown areas and called on Alabama lawmakers to pass legislation which would provide additional resources for state law enforcement downtown. She also added that "It is clear that to have a safe Montgomery, it is going to take more than these steps." Montgomery mayor Reed said that he was in favor of additional state assistance, but said that lax gun laws had "taken critical tools away from police officers". [6]
The attorney general of Alabama, Steve Marshall, said that city officials refused to admit that there was an ongoing crime crisis in the city, stating, "Though the blame lies with those who carelessly pulled the triggers, I continue to be troubled by the city leadership’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that they have a serious problem". Montgomery mayor Reed responded to Marshall's comments by stating that he'd "be more than happy" to discuss with him the city's anti-crime initiatives, but that he didn't appreciate Marshall "lecturing" him about crime in the city and that he believed the downtown area was very safe. [10]
Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville said that he was deeply disturbed by the attack and claimed that crime was rampant in Montgomery. He called on "city leadership to take responsibility and put an end to this". [11] Alabama senator Katie Britt referenced the attack during a Senate oversight hearing with U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi, calling the shooting "horrific". Britt questioned Bondi about her interagency work in order to "find solutions" to preventing similar crimes. Bondi responded by saying that they were "working nonstop to combat crime" and that the ongoing federal government shutdown had made work more difficult, but that agents were continuing to investigate. [12]