Law enforcement vehicles are pictured following a shooting in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, on Oct. 5, 2025.

MONTGOMERY, AL — A third person has been arrested and charged in connection with a mass shooting in downtown Montgomery that left two people dead and a dozen others injured in early October, police said.

Javorick Whiting, 19, has been charged with attempted murder, according to Lt. Ernestina McGriff, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery Police Department. Whiting was taken into custody on Oct. 16 by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility, she said.

The Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network, could not reach Whiting for comment, and jail records do not show if he has an attorney.

Whiting is the third suspect to be charged in the Oct. 4 shooting that occurred in the city's busy nightlife district, according to Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys. Multiple people had opened fire in a large crowd, leaving two people dead, including a teenager and a woman.

On Oct. 10, Montgomery police arrested an unnamed juvenile male, who was charged with one count of capital murder, nine counts of assault in the first degree, and three counts of assault in the second degree, McGriff said. Police did not release the suspect's age or name.

Earlier this week, 19-year-old Dantavious McGhee was charged with one count of capital murder, nine counts of assault in the first degree, and three counts of assault in the second degree, according to McGriff. McGhee was taken into custody on Oct. 13 and placed in the Montgomery County Detention Facility, she said.

The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and additional arrests are expected, police said. Anyone with information related to the shooting is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP, the Secret Witness Line at 334-625-4000, or the Montgomery Police Department at 334-625-2831.

Those killed in downtown Montgomery shooting include teen and woman

Graboys previously said gunfire erupted at around 11:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 4. There was a large group standing on the sidewalk near a business when the incident started, according to Graboys.

Police believe one of the victims was targeted, and several people began firing in the densely crowded area after initial shots rang out. The shooting was caused "by a disagreement that could have been avoided, should have been avoided," Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said at a news conference.

"This was a senseless situation," and the shooter "could have walked away," Graboys said at the news conference. "A bullet, once fired, does not come back."

Authorities identified the two victims killed in the shooting as Jeremiah Morris, 17, and Shalanda Williams, 43, both of Montgomery. Twelve others were also injured in the shooting, including seven victims under the age of 20, with the youngest being 16 years old, police said.

Of the injured, five had life-threatening injuries and seven had non-life-threatening injuries, Graboys said. Two of the injured people were armed.

Multiple weapons were also discovered at the scene. All of the firearms had "high magazine capacities," according to Graboys.

Following the incident, investigators said they were working to identify possible suspects, and local officials had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to arrests. Central Alabama CrimeStoppers also offered a $5,000 reward.

Shooting was not connected to city gatherings, authorities say

Reed previously said the shooting was not related to other events that were going on downtown or in other parts of the city over the weekend. The Montgomery Police Department had additional officers on duty due to the activities going on at the time.

The shooting occurred shortly after a football game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College. The game was played at Cramton Bowl, about a mile away from the shooting.

It was also opening weekend for the Alabama National Fair and homecoming for Alabama State University. Alabama State defeated Bethune-Cookman with about 25,000 people attending the game, according to the university.

Contributing: Sarah Clifton, Brad Harper, and Ryne Dennis, Montgomery Advertiser

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Police arrest third suspect in deadly downtown Montgomery, Alabama, shooting

Reporting by Marty Roney and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY NETWORK / Montgomery Advertiser

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