Social Media Manager: Samantha McCarthy
Email: smccarthy12@umassd.edu
2 were killed and 12 injured in a shooting in downtown Montgomery, Alabama during the late hours on Saturday, October 4th.
As of the time of writing (Thursday, October 16th), 3 arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. Javorick Whiting and Dantavious McGhee, both 19, have both been placed under arrest and are being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility.
One other juvenile male has been taken into custody, but authorities have not publicly identified the individual.
The unidentified suspect is facing one count of capital murder, 9 counts of first-degree assault, and 3 counts of second-degree assault. McGhee is also being charged on the same accounts.
Montgomery Police Department Chief Jim Graboys told local news station WFSA 12 that investigators believe the shooting began after one individual was targeted in a large crowd and other armed individuals also began returning fire. The shooting occurred during celebrations following a football game.
“This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd,” Graboys told NBC News.
As it was last confirmed, 5 victims are still hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, while 7 others are recovering well. No additional deaths have been reported since the shooting.
The two killed in the shooting have been identified as Shalanda “Rena” Williams, 43, and Jerimiah Morris, 17.
The suspects were not taken directly from the scene, with a $50,000 reward held for anyone who could provide substantial information. With the crowd being so large, authorities have faced trouble with finding who exactly was responsible.
Graboys announced the motive is still being investigated and that the team is currently going through “a mountain of evidence.”
“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 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.”
Moving forward, downtown Montgomery businesses, law enforcement, and citizens met to discuss the future of the city following this tragic event.
“While this was a devastating event, we are Montgomery strong,” said LaConya Murray. “We are continuing to move forward and make progress and we want to make sure that people patronize the business and community downtown.”
Murray is currently the chair of Main Street Montgomery, an organization that promotes businesses and the general well-being of Montgomery’s downtown area. She sat as the main organizer of this event to discuss how to best move forward.
With perceived uncertainty of safety following the shooting, local businesses report significantly less foot traffic through downtown Montgomery.
“Fridays and Saturdays, especially during this time of year, can really get busy,” said Megan Gibson, manager of Prevail, a coffee shop located along Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery. “People walk around, they are hanging out, the parking spots are full. This weekend was one of the first weekends in a long time when I walked out, it is 5 p.m. and there are so many parking spots.”
Following the shooting, city officials put a hold on an ordinance that allowed the carrying of open alcoholic beverages.
“Montgomery is a safe city, but the events of last weekend have led us to take a closer look at our open container ordinance,” Reed said in a statement.
Looking ahead, local businesses hope to bring back the community that had developed in downtown Montgomery. With the shooting still having so many unknown variables, officials are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of all citizens.
Authorities expect to make additional arrests with those involved, and urge anyone with any leads or information to contact the Montgomery Police Department.