In the early afternoon of a Tuesday in Montgomery, Alabama, the life of 24-year-old Rodriquez Harris Jr., an African American male, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. On January 7, 2025, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Harris was seated in his vehicle at a Chevron gas station located in the 2600 block of Zelda Road when the fatal shooting occurred.
He sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene, marking the first homicide in Montgomery for the year 2025.
The response from law enforcement was swift and extensive, with the Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office descending on the area. As officers arrived, they were met with gunfire from the suspects, who then attempted to flee on foot. A perimeter was quickly established, and a search for the individuals involved began. One suspect, identified as 24-year-old Ladarius Knight, was apprehended by ALEA Troopers after he fled into a nearby McDonald's. With the assistance of an ALEA Aviation unit, two other suspects were located in a nearby neighborhood. These individuals were identified as 18-year-old Trawick Demond Smith Jr. and 18-year-old Rodriques Javaun Humphrey. During the investigation, authorities recovered four firearms, two of which were illegally modified with machine gun conversion devices.
Following the arrests, Smith and Humphrey were both charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Rodriquez Harris Jr. Humphrey faced an additional charge of attempted murder for allegedly firing at a responding Montgomery police officer, who was not injured in the exchange. Both teenagers were taken to the Montgomery County Detention Facility and held without bond. Ladarius Knight was charged with being a person forbidden to own a firearm. Further investigation revealed that Rodriques Humphrey had been a suspect in a previous murder in 2022. The motive for the shooting of Rodriquez Harris Jr. has not been publicly released by authorities as the investigation continues.
