Authorities are asking for the public’s help to solve a triple homicide at a Hispanic grocery store in Montgomery last week.
A reward of $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the shooter. The reward is being provided by Montgomery City Council members Oronde Mitchell, Charles Jinright, Glen Pruitt, Andrew Szymanski, and Julie Beard who each pledged $5,000 to the cause.
The homicide victims were George Elijah Jr.,50; Daniel Lopez, 20; and Romero Lopez, 43. Elijah and Daniel Lopez both died at the scene, while Romero Lopez later died at the hospital. The Lopezs were father and son.
Acting Chief of the Montgomery Police Department, John Hall, is asking the public to help law enforcement solve the case.
“It’s extremely important that one little thing they didn’t tell us — that one piece we need to tie everything together and bring these people to justice,” said Hall. “So we ask that you call us — let us come in and let us do these police reports. We are not going to do anything except that police report. We are going to make sure that citizen is taken care of because at that moment they are a victim.”
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed assured the city that the perpetrator is being tracked down.
“People working their jobs in their community, trying to make it day-to-day, week-to-week should not be preyed upon,” said Reed. “And that’s what we had last night.”
“We’re not going to stand for people to be hunted because people think they’re an easy target or they’re easy prey. It’s easy being the hunter, it’s different when you’re being hunted and that’s what they are being right now.”
Montgomery police are working in conjunction with the FBI to solve the case. So far, no arrests related to the homicides have been made.
The shooting is just the latest in a string of crimes affecting the city’s Hispanic business community.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
