A devastating event occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, on a Saturday evening, leading to the loss of two lives and leaving 14 others injured. The fatalities included a woman, while two children were among those injured, with one in a critical state, as reported by Montgomery Police Department’s Chief, James Graboys.
The incident happened in the city’s bustling tourist district, shortly after a football match between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, two historically black universities in Alabama. The area was teeming with fairground-style attractions set up for the game, including a ferris wheel and other rides.
The violence broke out around 11:30 p.m. when a disagreement between two rival groups spiraled into a gunfight. The shooters, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding crowd, fired haphazardly, striking innocent bystanders.
Chief Graboys stated that the shooters were “engaged in a gunfight amidst a crowd” and “showed no regard for the people around them when they did it.” Currently, no arrests have been made in relation to the incident. Twelve of the 14 victims are still undergoing treatment in the hospital.
MPD Lt. Tina McGriff reported that “three victims remain in life-threatening condition, and nine sustained non-life-threatening injuries.” Police were patrolling the area when the shooting occurred, with officers stationed within 50 feet of the scene, according to Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.
Mayor Reed expressed his condolences and prayers for the victims and their families, and urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward. He said, “Even the smallest detail could be critical to helping investigators identify those responsible.”
Montgomery has been struggling with high crime rates, ranking in the top 10 percent of U.S. cities with high crime rates, according to CrimeGrade.com. In response to this, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has proposed expanding the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, a crime-fighting force in Montgomery comprising officers from the MPD, the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office, the ATF, and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.
Despite the high crime rates, Mayor Reed has insisted that the city does not require the intervention of the National Guard. He highlighted that both violent and non-violent crimes, as well as non-fatal shootings, had decreased in the first half of 2025. He emphasized that Montgomery is a city of families, faith, and future, and that the community deserves solutions rooted in partnership, not political soundbites.