A Baldwin County lawmaker is helping the Alabama Sheriffs Association push through legislation to stiffen the penalty for people who shoot and kill others in public spaces.
State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) spoke with Alabama Sheriffs Association executive director and former Baldwin County Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack about introducing a bill that would classify fatal public shootings as capital murder.
Simpson said after several fatal shootings in Mobile and Baldwin County parks, football games, festivals and a recent shooting inside Mobile's Saenger Theatre, the need to send a message to offenders became more evident. He said families should feel safe in those areas, and criminals should know to get out.
"We're trying to address the issues as they come up," Simpson told 1819 News. "And when you start shooting into a crowd, you start using – especially in the public space – but when you start shooting into a crowd, that's beyond recoverable at this point."
Also in Mobile this year, a person was shot and killed at Sage Park.
"I think some people are going to have to learn the lesson the hard way that, you know, this is not the way to resolve disputes," Simpson said.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood echoed that message.
"Shootings in public places put innocent people in danger, and this is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to respond with strength, clarity, and purpose," Blackwood said. "We must send a clear message: violence will not be tolerated, and those who endanger the lives of others will be held fully accountable. I fully support this legislation."
The proposal is to create a new statutory category of murder in cases where "the defendant, with the intent to intimidate, harass, injure, or kill, discharges a firearm into a group of two or more individuals gathered together in a public space and, in the course of such conduct, kills any individual."
"This is about deterrence and being able to better seek justice," said Mack. "Law enforcement officers around our state are seeing more and more reckless acts of violence in places where innocent citizens are just trying to live their lives. This legislation sends a strong message that we sheriffs are proud to support: Alabama will not tolerate this."
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