MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — In Alabama’s capital city, a dangerous exchange of gunfire erupted between opposing gunmen in a bustling downtown nightlife hub on Saturday night, resulting in two fatalities and injuring 12 more individuals, according to police reports.
One of the dead included a woman and three of the injured were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, including a juvenile, police said.
Police were called around 11:30 p.m. to what Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys described as a “mass shooting.”
“This was two parties involved that were basically shooting at each other in the middle of a crowd,” Graboys told reporters near the scene.
The shooters, he said, “did not care about the people around them when they did it.”
Police had reported no arrests Sunday morning, and hadn’t released details about how many people had fired or what kinds of weapons had been used.
This event coincided with a notably active weekend in Montgomery, marked by Alabama State University hosting its homecoming football match at Hornet Stadium, the ongoing Alabama National Fair at Garrett Coliseum, and the recently concluded Tuskegee University vs. Morehouse College rivalry football game at nearby Cramton Bowl.
Speaking to reporters, Mayor Steven Reed mentioned that law enforcement officials were stationed within 50 feet (15 meters) on either side of the incident, yet the shooters displayed “utter disregard for human life.”
Authorities are currently examining surveillance footage and conducting interviews with witnesses and potential suspects, but no arrests had been made by Sunday morning, according to the police.
“We will do everything we need to gather every bit of evidence to chase down whoever is involved,” Graboys said.
