Montgomery Business Owners React After Mass Shooting Downtown
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — Some business owners in downtown Montgomery are calling for a more consistent police presence after a mass shooting Saturday night left two people dead and twelve others injured in the capital city.
Flowers and balloons now mark the area where 17-year-old Jeremiah Morris and 43-year-old Shalanda Williams were killed. Investigators continued collecting evidence Monday, photographing shattered glass and piecing together what led to the violence.
“I walk outside and it looks like a guy might’ve been shot in the leg,” said Brandon Burnham, owner of Paradigm Lounge. “I looked to the right — a guy I think was grazed in the face. The lady that was deceased, I saw her over there. I also looked to the left and saw two gentlemen on the sidewalk as well. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Candy Capel, owner of CC’s Daiquiris, said the area was packed with people having a great time before shots rang out.
“There were just huge crowds out here from the sidewalk spilling out into the street,” Capel said. “It would have reminded you of Mardi Gras in Montgomery — wall-to-wall people.”
Capel said she told customers to get on the floor when the gunfire started.
“Everybody crawled to the back of the bar space and stayed on the floor, and the shots just continued,” she said.
Many people ran into nearby businesses, including Paradigm Lounge, to escape the chaos.
“My security guard Will was out here right in the midst of it, helping people get in our door,” Burnham said. “People were trampling over each other, and he was picking them up. My business partner, Martin King, was here helping people get inside too.”
Burnham said none of his staff or patrons were involved in the shooting.
“As far as Paradigm goes, we had zero involvement,” he said. “None of our guests or employees had anything to do with it. Unfortunately, it happened right by the liquor store on the corner, and when shots fire, everybody spreads — they just ran toward our spot.”
Capel said business owners were promised increased police patrols and surveillance after a previous downtown shooting.
“They said there would be a visible presence of MPD down here,” Capel said. “We were told there were plenty of cameras, that drones would be deployed, and that crowd control would be enforced. It happened for maybe two or three weekends, and then we didn’t see that presence again.”
At a press conference on Sunday, Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys told reporters five police officers were within “running distance” and immediately responded when the shooting started. Graboys says an unspecified number of additional police officers were in the greater downtown area as well. ALEA and Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies also responded and assisted MPD in the aftermath of the shooting.
“We’ve got to learn how to control our crowds,” she said. “You can’t do it for two or three weekends and then stop. We’re doing our best to make sure our customers enjoy downtown Montgomery and stay safe.”
“If everyone wasn’t just standing there — if police had kept people moving — maybe that could’ve helped,” Burnham said. “I just want people to know this isn’t a common thing down here. You can still come enjoy yourself and not have to worry about looking over your shoulder.”
The Montgomery Police Department is scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday to provide an update on the investigation.
