Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys speaking to press on Oct. 5, 2025, after a mass shooting on the night of Oct. 4 in downtown Montgomery.Montgomery Police Department
The violence broke out shortly after 11:30 p.m. in Montgomery's crowded downtown entertainment district, just blocks from where Tuskegee University had faced Morehouse College at Cramton Bowl. The victims included Shalanda Williams, 43, and Jeremiah Morris, 17. Five others sustained life-threatening injuries, including another juvenile.
Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys said the shooting began when someone targeted one individual, triggering a chaotic exchange of gunfire between rival groups in the middle of a crowd.
"This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd," Graboys told reporters Sunday. "They did not care about the people around them when they did it."
The incident cast a shadow over what had been a particularly active weekend for Montgomery's higher education community. Alabama State University held its homecoming football game earlier that day at Hornet Stadium, drawing large crowds of students, alumni, and visitors to the city.
Seven of the 14 shooting victims were under 20 years old, with the youngest being 16. At least two of the victims were armed, according to police, who recovered multiple weapons and shell casings from the scene near the Hank Williams Museum and Rosa Parks Museum.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed condemned the violence and vowed aggressive prosecution of those involved.
