Governor, mayor talk to each other about Montgomery mass shooting
Gov. Kay Ivey and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed have now had a conversation regarding the mass shooting that killed two people and left 12 others injured, some critically.
Ivey posted on X that she and Reed talked by phone this morning.
Ivey said in her post, “I reiterated what I said in my message Monday and that is that the state will do our very best to support local efforts. The state is a partner, just as I want locals to be a partner to us in combatting crime!”
Reed has also posted to X, saying “Thank you, Governor Kay Ivey for the conversation this morning. Montgomery is committed to doing our part — and we welcome the state’s partnership — as we tackle crime and build stronger, safer communities together.”
Action 8 News contacted the governor’s Communications Director Gina Maiola, who declined to provide further details. We also contacted the mayor’s office. Communications Director Miguel Diaz-Lucier said he could not comment on the conversation.
As Action 8 News has reported, the shooting happened in a crowded area just before midnight Saturday, October 4, in the area around Bibb and Commerce streets, in the heart of the city’s tourist area where many events had taken place throughout the day.
The shooter hasn’t been arrested. The victims who were killed have been identified as 17-year-old Jeremiah Morris and 43-year-old Shalanda Williams. Of the 12 injured, five have life-threatening injuries. Seven are under the age of 20, with the youngest being 16 years old.
On Monday, Ivey said the state’s response should include ALEA, the Alabama Legislature and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board working with city and county law enforcement.
Already, Capitol Police have expanded their patrol area to include other parts of downtown beyond the Capitol complex.
Reed responded to the governor by saying, “We welcome any assistance the state is willing to provide. But real safety requires more than additional troopers or task forces— it requires the courage to confront the culture of easy access to guns and a lack of responsibility among those who carry them.”
Reed has criticized the state’s permitless gun carry law. He said he and the Montgomery City Council wanted to pass an ordinance so that anyone openly carrying a gun would be required to show identification upon request. He said under current state law, enforcing such an ordinance could have cost Montgomery state funding.
It was good to connect with @MayorofMgm this morning. I reiterated what I said in my message Monday and that is that the state will do our very best to support local efforts. The state is a partner, just as I want locals to be a partner to us in combatting crime! #alpolitics
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) October 8, 2025
Thank you, @GovernorKayIvey, for the conversation this morning.
Montgomery is committed to doing our part—and we welcome the state’s partnership—as we tackle crime and build stronger, safer communities together. #alpolitics— Mayor Steven L. Reed (@MayorofMgm) October 8, 2025
