In the summer of 2017, a street party on Church Street in Quinton, Alabama, turned tragic, leading to the death of a young woman named Jalayah Hackman. A sophomore in college, she was caught in the crossfire of a dispute that erupted into violence in the early morning hours of July 22nd. Attempting to de-escalate a heated argument between two men, she was struck in the neck by a stray bullet.
Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 12:22 a.m.
Hackman was initially rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital for medical attention. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was subsequently transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, she ultimately succumbed to the gunshot wound. Her death was a profound loss to her family and community, who remembered her as someone who was trying to be a peacemaker in a volatile situation.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Walker County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation that quickly led to the apprehension of two suspects. Antonio Rossell Montgomery, 21 years old at the time and from Jasper, and Keiel Natwand James, then 22 and a resident of Quinton, were taken into custody. Authorities also indicated that a third individual who had fired shots at the scene was being considered a person of interest in the ongoing investigation.
Following their arrests, Montgomery and James were incarcerated at the Walker County Jail. Montgomery was initially charged with first-degree assault, while James faced a charge of attempted murder. Law enforcement officials noted at the time that these charges could be upgraded in light of Hackman's passing. The community mourned her loss, with family members creating a social media group in her honor, affectionately using a nickname given to her by her grandmother, 'Lay Lay.'
