At least two people were killed and a dozen more were injured late Saturday night after gunfire erupted in downtown Montgomery while the city was hosting the Alabama National Fair.
Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys said officers responded around 11:30 p.m. following reports of shots fired. The exact cause of the shooting remains unclear, but Graboys described the chaos as two individuals “essentially firing at each other in the middle of a crowd.”
Authorities did not have suspects in custody when Graboys spoke at an overnight press conference: “I want to be very clear — we will use every available resource and work around the clock to identify, charge, and hold accountable those responsible,” Graboys stated.
Of the 12 people injured, Graboys said that three had life-threatening injuries. Authorities did not identify the deceased victims, but NBC affiliate WSFA reported that at least one is a woman. Detectives are interviewing witnesses and will do everything possible to “gather every bit of evidence and chase down whoever is involved,” Graboys told reporters. Officers have recovered several firearms believed to be connected to the shooting, though he declined to specify how many or what type, only noting that they were “high-capacity weapons.”
Video footage posted to social media shows crowds enjoying carnival rides before panic breaks out roughly a minute into the clip. Moments later, the sound of multiple gunshots can be heard as people flee in all directions.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said the victims had come out to enjoy the Alabama National Fair like thousands of others attending the event, which began Friday and is scheduled to continue through the week. He praised law enforcement for their work in protecting the city, stating that “thousands of people been in this city this weekend, and it only took one or two to change the entire outcome,” and added that the act of violence is “not something that we’re going to tolerate. We’re going to make sure that we set an example, and we set a public example, of people who continue to endanger the lives of innocent people in our communities …It’s not going to be accepted.”
Editorial credit: Chad Robertson Media / Shutterstock.com
