A mass shooting in downtown Montgomery on Saturday night left two people dead and a dozen others injured during what should have been a weekend of celebration in Alabama’s capital city.
The gunfire erupted shortly after 11:30 p.m. Saturday near Bibb Street and Commerce Street.
Montgomery Police Lt. Tina McGriff said a total of 14 people were injured. Two people have died, including a woman.
Two juveniles are among those wounded.
One has life-threatening injuries, she said, and the other suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
In all, three victims remain in life-threatening condition, and nine sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys said police were called around 11:30 p.m.
“This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd,” Graboys told reporters.
The shooters, he said, “did not care about the people around them when they did it.”
Graboys said investigators were interviewing potential suspects, although no one had been charged early Sunday.
“We will do everything we need to gather every bit of evidence to chase down whoever is involved,” Graboys said.
Mayor Steven Reed told reporters there were police units within 50 feet on both sides when the shooting broke out, but that the shooters “had no regard for human life.”
McGriff said detectives are actively pursuing leads and reviewing evidence, including witness statements and surveillance footage.
By early Sunday morning, there was little police presence at the scene. Drops of blood were left on the sidewalk and crime scene tape hung from poles.
“We are urging anyone with information related to this incident to come forward,” McGriff said. “Even the smallest detail could be critical to helping investigators identify those responsible.”
The shooting happened after the end of the Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic that brought a crowd to the city’s Cramston Bowl stadium. The city opened a new downtown Ferris wheel this weekend coinciding with the game.
The Alabama National Fair was also being held at the fairgrounds by Garrett Coliseum this weekend. The Alabama State University homecoming game against Bethune-Cookman University was also held Saturday at ASU Stadium.
Video shared by WSFA on social media showed the aftermath of the chaotic scene.
A news conference is scheduled for noon.
Violent crime has been a concern in Montgomery.
“Local leaders must be willing to lead in order to stop the crime and violence,” Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth posted on social media.
Ainsworth in July criticized Reed for “taking credit for a lot of work that other people did” to reduce crime in the city. Ainsworth said a crime-fighting effort in Montgomery called the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit deserved much of the credit for any drop in violence.
“I’m not sure why (Ainsworth) brought me up in his talk but I’m not worried about credit because I focus on results,” Reed posted in response.
In her State of the State address in February, Gov. Kay Ivey said she would expand the MACS program.
MACS is made up of law enforcement officers from ALEA, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the frontrunner for governor in 2026, in August was asked if he were governor would he deploy Alabama’s National Guard to Birmingham and Montgomery to combat crime like President Donald Trump has done in Washington D.C.
The senator responded saying, “you betcha.”
Reed said in response that the city needed “continued investment in jobs, education, mental health, and public safety resources — not troops on our streets.”
During a press conference in June, Reed also said that during the first half of 2025 homicides, violent crimes, non-violent crimes and non-fatal shootings had all decreased, according to the Alabama Reflector.
“Montgomery is not a battlefield,” Reed said. “It is a city of families, faith, and future. The people of this community deserve solutions rooted in partnership, not political soundbites.”
In late September, five people died in homicides during a single weekend in Montgomery.
“Lives have been cut short. Families are grieving. And our community has been scarred by acts that should never have happened,” Reed on Sept. 22.
“Every life lost to violence is one too many. We can’t just get used to this. We can’t shrug it off and move on like it’s normal. It’s not normal. And it’s not acceptable in Montgomery.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery police at 334-625-2831 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The Associated Press and AL.com reporter Mike Cason contributed to this report.
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