Citizens in Montgomery Alabama are raising concerns after a picture of a man holding a rifle off the side of the road went viral this week.

The photo shows two men standing on the curb located near Woodley Road in Montgomery. Both men are talking to someone in an SUV, and one of the men is wearing a ski mask while openly carrying what appears to be an AR-15 style rifle.

The picture got so much attention that Mayor Steven Reed’s chief of staff, Chip Hill, attempted to frame the narrative, coming to the defense of the man pictured.

“We are aware of the photograph being passed around showing a man walking on Southern Boulevard with a rifle,” Hill said. “If the photo is real, it is troubling. But, I consulted with PD and they said the man is not in violation of any Alabama gun law. Thanks for inquiring.”

We are aware of the photograph being passed around showing a man walking on Southern Boulevard with a rifle. If the photo is real, it is troubling. But, I consulted with PD and they said the man is not in violation of any Alabama gun law. Thanks for inquiring. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/SUQoYZ432N

— Chip Hill (@Chip_Hill) August 8, 2024

Hill referenced that under state law, those over the age of 18 can legally carry a firearm without a permit after Constitutional Carry was passed in 2022 by the Alabama Legislature. Alabama is considered an open carry state, which means if a person is legally able to own a firearm, they do not need a permit to open carry.

However, that law would not apply to this situation since the man in the photo was not concealing the gun.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee