A mass shooting near a downtown Montgomery intersection left two people dead and 14 others wounded late Saturday night following the Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic, a celebrated HBCU football matchup that had drawn large crowds to the city’s entertainment district.
The gunfire erupted around 11:30 p.m. near Bibb and Commerce streets, just hours after fans poured out of the Cramton Bowl where Morehouse College and Tuskegee University faced off in their annual rivalry.
According to the Montgomery Police Department, two juvenile males were among those hit, including one with life-threatening injuries.
“In total, three victims remain in life-threatening condition, and nine sustained non-life-threatening injuries,” the department said in a statement Sunday morning. “Detectives are actively pursuing leads and reviewing evidence, including witness statements and surveillance footage.”
The shooting comes as a blow to Mayor Steven Reed, who in July touted a 28% drop in violent crime during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. The city had recently implemented a youth curfew in hopes of curbing late-night violence downtown.
State Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, condemned the attack in a Facebook post early Sunday. “I am praying for all of the victims and their loved ones,” he wrote. “Let us all hope for and work towards the day of conflict being resolved in a non-violent way.”
Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth also weighed in, calling for stronger leadership to address the rising toll of violence. “Fourteen injured, two dead, and others clinging to life after a Saturday shooting in downtown Montgomery,” Ainsworth posted. “Local leaders must be willing to lead in order to stop the crime and violence.”
The incident adds to Alabama’s ongoing struggle with gun violence.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state ranked fourth in firearm death rates in 2023, with 25.6 deaths per 100,000 residents.
That year, Alabama reported more gun-related deaths than New York, despite having a fraction of its population.
The tragedy also comes just over a year after a mass shooting in Birmingham left four people dead and 17 others hurt. That 2024 incident prompted state lawmakers to ban Glock switches, a measure Ensler helped pass.
Montgomery police have scheduled a press conference for noon on Sunday to release more details about the investigation.