Last week, a shooting in downtown Montgomery left two dead and 14 injured. The city was sponsoring an HBCU football celebration with crowds of people packed into the area. Then someone decided it would be a good idea to fire randomly into the crowd. How sick is that?
These people were just enjoying their night. Instead of a fun evening of revelry and hanging out with friends, two people are dead and others are fighting for their lives. This shouldn’t happen in the capital of any state, let alone Alabama, which prizes itself on maintaining law and order.
Attorney General Steve Marshall certainly has this viewpoint, weighing in with a statement after the shooting. As 1819 News reported:
‘These events underscore, once again, that our capital city is in crisis. Though the blame lies with those who carelessly pulled the triggers, I continue to be troubled by the city leadership’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge that they have a serious problem,’ Marshall said.
The statement is an apparent critique of Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed who has previously said he ‘only focuses on results’ despite elevated levels of crime in the city.
Marshall affirmed local law enforcement, but as the top cop in the state – and also a candidate for U.S. Senate – he strongly emphasized the state’s authority in finding a solution to the crime problem in the capital.
While I believe that local law enforcement is doing the best they can, the People of Montgomery deserve leaders who are competent, accountable, and committed to restoring law and order. As a resident of Montgomery myself, I remain committed to our efforts to turn this city around and to revisiting the conversation about the state’s authority over its capital.
Of course, the genius blue dot leaders of Montgomery chafed at being told that they have a crime problem and that it behooved them to step up and do something about it.
Montgomery Mayor Steve Reed pushed back at Marshall’s comments. “If the attorney general ever wants to talk with me about what we’re doing, I’d be more than happy to sit with him, and I’ll go to him, tell him exactly what we’ve been doing,” Reed said during a news conference. “But I don’t need anybody lecturing me about crime.”
Crime appears to have escalated under Reed’s watch, so perhaps he does. Two weeks prior to this incident, five people were killed in what law enforcement said was a “preventable” situation. Montgomery has had 52 homicides just in 2025. In 2024, that number was 61, and in 2023 it was 75.
Clearly this issue is not diminishing. Yet Reed continued maligning Marshall’s legitimate concerns, saying, “I don’t need that type of sideline commentary from the state’s top law enforcement official.”
Marshall is still the state’s top law enforcement official, so I would surmise he is the very one who deserves to have a say.
Marshall is also a resident of the city and a taxpayer, giving even more gravitas to his input. It is the residents of crime-ridden cities, whether peripherally or directly, that suffer the most from its effects.
Part of the choice to live in a certain city is the convenience. For the young and lower-income earners, cheap entertainment also plays into that choice. Getting an inexpensive meal and strolling in a downtown area makes for cheap dates and ways to hang out with friends. Downtown centers should be pleasant, safe and interactive, not a prelude to murder.
Of course, after any mass shooting the typical liberal response is that guns are the problem. Montgomery City Councilwoman Marche Johnson recommended a “temporary pause and review” of a premier gun show scheduled in November.
Aside from Montgomery losing revenue and tourism, how many Montgomery businesses would lose out on income should they fail to host this event? How many residents who look forward to side work or extra income would be cut off? This is also the problem with rampant crime: it doesn’t just harm people, it blunts opportunity all around.
As President Trump is proving through deployment of the National Guard to crime-ridden cities, police presence, arresting the criminal element, and making them accountable for their crimes, makes a difference. Why are Reed and Johnson not advocating for this to happen in Montgomery?
The Alabama Sheriff’s Association also weighed in on Montgomery crime.
“Montgomery has a criminal gang problem,” Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said in a statement. “Gangs often gather in small groups and venture out looking for confrontation with rival gangs. There exists a culture that emphasizes only addressing serious crimes, rather than enforcing the law comprehensively.”
Creating an atmosphere where people are welcome, but gangs are not, is a good first step – instead of being on hair trigger and waiting until violence occurs. But the association made a bigger point:
So, for all the Alabamians who live outside the city of Montgomery—why should you care? Here's why: Montgomery is our State Capital, the home of the seven state Constitutional Officers, every state agency, and the Alabama Legislature. These are dedicated individuals who leave their families, jobs, and homes to make Alabama a better state. I wonder if these dedicated servants feel safe when they are there. Violent crime, street shootings, and robberies could impact the functionality of state government.
Crime disenfranchises EVERYONE, whether you live in the vicinity of it or not. Huntsville, Vestavia Hills, Mobile, and every smaller community in between pays for Montgomery’s issues; therefore, it should be a state-level concern.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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