A Selmont toddler was killed in a shooting early Wednesday morning, becoming the third young person in Selma to die in the last several weeks in a shooting-related incident.
The baby died in a house that was shot into in the 1000 block of Old Montgomery Road, Mayor Johnny Moss III said.
Interim Selma Police Chief Michael Perry said the incident has prompted a multi-agency investigation that includes federal, state and local law enforcement. The investigation includes the US Attorney General’s Office and local District Attorney.
District Attorney Robert Turner Jr. said in a statement that Dallas County has suffered a wave of gun violence in the last few weeks “that has shaken us to our core.”
“In three separate incidents, we have lost young people — full of promise and potential — to senseless gun violence. And in the most recent tragedy, an innocent toddler — a baby — was brutally shot and killed inside a home. Three separate acts. Three separate families devastated. One community that is hurting deeply.”
Turner adds that “the pain of our community has brought our law enforcement agencies together in a powerful and necessary way,” pointing to the cooperation between multiple agencies that he said, “this circuit has long needed to hold those responsible accountable and to prevent further loss of life.”
Perry agreed, saying he will “not rest until justice is served.”
Moss said "enough is enough" and that these shootings must stop in a statement made Thursday.
"Let me be clear: we will not allow reckless individuals to terrorize our community and endanger innocent lives," Moss said. "Those responsible will be pursued, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Moss added that enforcement alone will not solve this problem and the city needs parents, families, churches, schools, community leaders and citizens "to stand together, cooperate with law enforcement, and reject the violence harming our city and our children."
Turner urged residents with information about any of the three shootings, no matter how small the detail, to come forward, adding, “you do not have to give your name. You do not have to appear in court. You just have to make the call.”
The call can be made to Central Alabama CrimeStoppers, which is a 24-Hour anonymous tip line at
(334) 215-STOP (7867) or toll-free: 1-833-AL1-STOP.
Tips can also be made online at www.215stop.com or via text by texting 215stop to 738477.
You can also download the P3 Tips App in the app store.
Tips may qualify for a cash reward and your identity is always protected, Turner said.
“The life of every person in this community matters,” Turner said. “The life of every child matters. Silence protects killers. Information saves lives.”
This story was updated at 9:13 a.m. Thursday to add comments from Mayor Johnny Moss III.
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