Imagine a night of celebration after a college football game turning into a deadly nightmare, only for one of the accused to walk free on a shockingly low bond.
In Montgomery, Alabama, a tragic shooting on Oct. 4, 2025, after the Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic game left two dead and 12 injured, with 19-year-old Javorick Whiting charged with attempted murder before being released on a $60,000 bond, sparking fierce community backlash.
The chaos unfolded just past 11:30 p.m. that fateful night, as fans and attendees were winding down from the game.
What should have been a joyous occasion turned deadly when gunfire erupted, claiming two lives and wounding a dozen others, totaling 14 victims.
According to authorities, only one of those 14 was the intended target, suggesting a reckless disregard for bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Police later revealed that multiple shooters were involved, with several individuals in the crowd drawing their own weapons and firing back in a chaotic exchange.
Montgomery Police Chief Jim Graboys painted a chilling picture of the scene, saying, "This started as the result of an individual, one of these 14 (injured or killed), who we believe was targeted, in which basically an exchange of gunfire erupted."
Chief Graboys added, "When that exchange erupted, multiple people in the crowd pulled their own weapons and started discharging." That’s a stark reminder of how quickly a situation can spiral when personal firearms mix with volatile crowds—hardly the safe community environment we all crave.
On Oct. 16, 2025, Javorick Whiting, age 19, was arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with this horrific event.
Whiting was among several suspects, including some juveniles, taken into custody following the incident, but his case has drawn particular ire.
The very next day, on Oct. 17, a judge set his bond at just $60,000, which he promptly posted through a bail bond company, securing his release.
Now, let’s be clear: a $60,000 bond for a crime of this magnitude feels like a slap in the face to victims and a community already reeling from tragedy.
The Montgomery County district attorney’s office has since filed a motion to raise Whiting’s bond, arguing it’s far too low to ensure public safety.
Gov. Kay Ivey echoed the frustration felt by many, stating, "Today, we learn that one of the four suspects has been released back onto the streets. This is exactly the legal loophole that I and many in the Legislature sought to close when I signed the Safe Alabama package."
Her words cut to the core of a broken system—why are we still playing catch-up with laws like Aniah’s Law, which currently doesn’t cover attempted murder but could with voter approval next year, when public safety hangs in the balance now?
