MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A deadly, overnight mass shooting is under investigation in downtown Montgomery.
The Montgomery Police Department says the shooting happened near Bibb Street and Commerce Street and left 14 people injured around 11:30 p.m.
Two people have died, including a woman. MPD has not given any information on the other fatality.
MPD said two juveniles were also among those injured, including one who is in life-threatening condition.
In total, three victims remain in life-threatening condition and nine others sustained non-life threatening injuries, MPD 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,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. “You don’t care about your life? Go jump off a bridge. You don’t pull out a gun and shoot in a crowd of people.”
“This is not acceptable. This is not normal,” said Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys. “We will not rest until we put the people involved in jail.”
‘NOT A TYPICAL MASS SHOOTING’
A motive was not immediately clear, but Graboys said this was “not a typical mass shooting,” noting it involved two groups shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd He couldn’t provide many other details since the investigation is in its earliest stages.
The shooting happened with “police units within 50 feet of both sides,” the mayor confirmed. He reiterated multiple times that when the suspects are captured, they will be made an example out of.
Downtown was very busy Saturday night with thousands of people in town as part of a full weekend of festivities including the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic, the Alabama National Fair, and Alabama State University’s homecoming game.
The police chief said investigators have brought in multiple people for questioning connected to the case, but it’s not clear if any of those being interviewed are the suspects, themselves.
The chief said the guns used in Saturday night’s shooting had high-capacity magazines and that MPD has recovered weapons in connection to the investigation.
BUSINESS OWNER REACTS
WSFA 12 News talked with Brandon Burnham, the owner of Paradigm Lounge, which is near the scene of the mass shooting.
“I was in the office when everything happened,” he explained. “I just heard a ton of shots, people started running inside Paradigm, even in the office where I was. I couldn’t even count how many shots it was, but quite a few.”
Burnham said there were people running, “unfortunately, people laid out on the sidewalk, people trying to resuscitate.”
ATTORNEY GENERAL REACTS
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement that offered his “deepest sympathies” to the victims. He also said the mass shooting “underscore, once again, that our capital city is in crisis.”
Marshall added, ” I continue to be troubled by the city leadership’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that they have a serious problem.”
COMMUNITY URGED TO SHARE ‘EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAIL’
“Detectives are actively pursuing leads and reviewing evidence, including witness statements and surveillance footage. We are urging anyone with information related to this incident to come forward,” MPD said. “Even the smallest detail could be critical to helping investigators identify those responsible.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Montgomery Police at 334-625-2831 or Central Alabama CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
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