At least two people were killed and a dozen others wounded in a shooting in downtown Montgomery on Saturday night while the city was hosting the Alabama National Fair.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at about 11:30 p.m., according to Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys. Details on how the shooting began were not immediately clear, but Graboys described the incident as two individuals “basically shooting 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 state specifically that we will use every resource, we will stay up all night, we will do whatever we need to do … to charge and hold the people responsible who were involved in this,” Graboys said.
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.
Police recovered weapons during the investigation, but Graboys did not provide details on the evidence. He described the firearms as having a “high capacity.”
A video posted to Facebook and verified by NBC News shows people gathered around carnival attractions, including a Ferris wheel, in the downtown Montgomery area. A large group of people start running a little more than a minute into the video.
Seconds after the running begins, sounds of what appear to be gunshots ring loudly in the recording.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said that officials believe the shooting victims were trying to enjoy the evening like thousands of others who came to the Alabama National Fair. The fair began Friday and is scheduled to continue through the week.
“Thousands of people been in this city this weekend, and it only took one or two to change the entire outcome,” Reed said.
He praised law enforcement for their work in protecting the city 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,” Reed said. “It’s not going to be accepted.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Griffin Eckstein contributed.
