SILVERHILL, Ala. Authorities received a 911 call on Wednesday morning at around 11:00 on July 8th, 2026, and the caller stated that a person had been shot multiple times.
Law enforcement, the Silverhill Fire Department and EMS responded to the area of the PoleCat Creek Mobile Home Park on South Boulevard. Upon arrival they were told that the man was down the street, where officers found the victim nearby.
Police said that the man had been shot fourteen times with a BB gun and that two men fled the area.
A medical helicopter was also dispatched to the area.
Several law enforcement units checked the area while a fire crew attended to the medical needs of the injured person, who police have not identified yet.
At this time the man has non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
PENSACOLA, Fla. Police frustrated with the violence that occurred on the 4th of July in the downtown area announced that two people have been arrested, but that they are still searching for others.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom said that Lillian Meyers and Nicholas Safford are facing multiple charges, but not homicide.
The Chief also said that three guns used in the shootings have also been recovered.
The victim killed has been identified as 19-year-old Phillip Devon Monte Sheppard Jr., known to friends and family as P.J.
Safford, 26, of Daphne is being held on charges of aggravated assault, weapons possession and firing a weapon.
After the shooting, Winstrom said Safford gave his gun to Lillian Meyers, 25, of Pensacola, who then fled the scene with it. Now Meyers faces charges of public order crimes and obstructing justice.
The police chief that the arrests are good, but his investigators are tracking the shooters who are wanted for murder.
“We have also determined that there were at least three shooters involved in the incident,” Pensacola police spokesman Mike Wood said. “There has not been anyone charged in the homicide portion of the investigation as of today, but the investigation is proceeding.
Police also told me that local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are involved with the investigation.
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GULF SHORES, Ala. An Alabama man is facing three felony charges after police in Gulf Shores said the man acted inappropriately and sexually towards several females.
Todd Sterlin Trolinger Jr., 37, of Millbrook, is charged with three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree.
According to law enforcement, Trolinger approached two females on July 2nd, 2026, from behind with a beer can in his shorts and made inappropriate physical contact of a sexual nature.
One of the alleged victims is an adult; the other is identified in the complaint as a 17-year-old male.
Two of the complaints were filed on July 2nd and a third affidavit describes a separate incident on July 3, 2026.
Court documents show that Trolinger is presently confined at the Baldwin County Detention Center in Bay Minette.
According to court records, a woman told investigators Trolinger attempted to touch her inappropriately.
Gulf Shores Police arrested Trolinger and booked him on three Sexual Abuse in the First Degree by forcible compulsion.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE COUNTY, AL. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Mobile County District Attorney’s Office have announced the arrest of a second Prichard police officer.
On July 8, 2026, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, arrested the officer in an ongoing investigation.
Jihad Hasan Irby was arrested and charged with the following offenses:
Two (2) counts of Extortion, First Degree
Two (2) counts of Bribery
One (1) count of Use of Office for Personal Gain
Also today, July 8, 2026, investigators served Emanuel Naman Dotch, II with the same five warrants:
Two (2) counts of Extortion, First Degree
Two (2) counts of Bribery
One (1) count of Use of Office for Personal Gain
Investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office made contact with Irby to serve the warrants, and he was taken into custody without incident.
These arrests are part of the ongoing investigation into allegations of criminal misconduct within the City of Prichard Police Department. The investigation remains active, and additional arrests or charges may be forthcoming as investigators continue to review evidence and follow investigative leads.
If anyone has any information about this case please contact Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, 251-574-8633. You may also go to our website, www.mobileso.com/crimetips/ and report anonymously.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
PENSACOLA, Fla. Police are brainstorming with area law enforcement, community leaders and residents trying to determine next steps after a shooting over the weekend left one person dead and six others shot.
One of the ideas being seriously considered is a seasonal curfew restricting teens from being downtown or on any city street after a certain time, such as 9 p.m.
Cities across the country have had similar violent incidents involving teens and many have instituted curfews, but not all were successful.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom and Mayor D.C. Reeves have also addressed this since the shooting that occurred Sunday.
Chief Winstrom addressed the fact that police had their hands full well before the Palafox Street shooting even though 50 additional officers were patrolling the streets in the downtown area during the holiday festivities.
Winstrom says nine arrests were made in the hours prior to the shooting — all between the ages of 14 to 22. Police responded to over 20 fights.
Cities across the U.S. frequently institute juvenile curfews to mitigate “teen takeovers,” large-scale social media meetups, and late-night violence. While popular at face value, many researchers find little evidence that curfews significantly reduce crime, leading some municipalities to focus instead on community-based alternatives. Some cities have used both limited curfews, and parental assistance, youth advocates and increased police presence to thwart the violence that has paralyzed some cities.
“If it’s a city-imposed curfew or a parent-imposed curfew, I think just the overall mindset of knowing where your kids are and wanting to keep them safe is an important thing,” Winstrom said. “And that would certainly improve the safeness of our community.”
Police nationwide have seen an increase of violent crimes, takeovers of streets, businesses and shopping malls by teens as young as ten years old.
The chief said that disturbances downtown amid 4th of July celebrations ranged from fights to children launching fireworks at one another.
“Some officers and myself saw some very young people, some between the ages of 10 and 11,” Winstrom said. “And the idea of a curfew isn’t necessarily that you want to take this person off the street to punish them. It’s 10 and 11 year old’s who were in some situations that I think I would be uncomfortable having my 10 or 11 year-old in. So having the ability to escort them home as a way to keep them safe is important.”
Mayor Reeves says that as of right now, community leaders are discussing curfews. But nothing can be done until an ordinance is brought to city councilmembers and voted on.
Again, police in many cities blame part of these issue on parents who have no control over their children or a lack of parental responsibilities and sometimes the plain fact is that parents are too busy to track their children’s activities.
Nearby, the City of Seaside and Panama City Beach have seasonal curfews in place during what they call “high impact periods,” like spring break.
Mayor Reeves says the primary focus right now is on the investigation, but he would be open to more conversations regarding curfews in the future.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
DAPHNE, Ala. A police officer patrolling last Thursday, July 2nd, 2026, conducted a late-night traffic stop on a vehicle after seeing a vehicle being driven erratically.
According to Daphne Police, the driver was stopped at U.S. Highway 98 near North Main Street at approximately 10:45 p.m.
During the stop, one of the officers saw a glass pipe on the center console, police said. That observation led to a probable cause search of the vehicle which was being driven by 46-year-old Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee, Florida, a former nominee for Florida governor, police said.
Police said officers recovered several rolled marijuana cigarettes and three packages of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Officers took Gillum into custody, and he was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony, and possession of marijuana, second degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
He was booked into the Daphne City Jail and later transported to the Baldwin County Correctional Facility, where arrestees facing felony charges are held until they either bond out or make a first appearance in court.
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MOBILE, AL. Police in Mobile conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation and many times, the driver would receive a ticket and be released, but not this time.
The stop occurred on Monday, July 6, 2026, at approximately 10:02 a.m., when officers initiated the traffic stop for a violation in the area of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Crawford Lane.
As officers approached the vehicle, they smelled the odor of marijuana.
This gave officers probable cause to search the vehicle and officers removed the driver and passenger from the vehicle.
During the probable cause search of the vehicle, they located two firearms, one of which had a Glock switch attached.
Police arrested Joshua Coleman, 22, and he was charged with a felony and transported to Metro Jail.
Possessing a “Glock switch” (auto sear) is a severe felony under federal law and most state laws including Alabama. Because these devices convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic machine guns, they are strictly prohibited, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and significant fines.
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FAIRHOPE, Ala. Large Pecan trees once grew along a quiet road on the outskirts of a city planted by the bay. The trees which once numbered in the dozens, probably even in the hundreds at one time, are barely a resemblance of themselves with many removed in recent months.
While many call it progress, locals that I’ve talked to who grew up walking the quiet roads, aren’t so sure that it’s progress at all.
I walked in the area of Monk Street and County Road 3 on this early, quiet Sunday morning and reminisced about my first time in 1989, when I was introduced to the city along the bluffs. Back then it was a serene, charming village where people sat on park benches reading a book or sharing their own stories over a cup of coffee.
Although still charming, there’s no mistake that its uniqueness and serenity have been replaced by a population boom, cars zipping through town on US 98 and State Highway 181, and in many ways, a new city has taken the place of a town that was once so quaint.
On this day, the sunrays covered the area where a new golf course and residential community were being planted, erasing what once was.
The Point Clear Club’s 18-hole Championship Course and approximately 350-400 homes is well underway and a clubhouse, restaurant, swimming pool and other amenities are all planned and shall soon be another example of what once was and what it turned into.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. Some country music concerts are known to be a little bit louder, and rowdier than others not to mention the occasional brawl in the stands.
And such is the case that’s being reported locally as well as on social media and on some music websites regarding a recent country artists concert at the Wharf in Orange Beach.
Between the heat, the liquid courage in a cup and the low tolerance that some people have for others, fights seem to be breaking out more often and more violently.
One of the most ridiculous fights that I’ve ever seen happened during Gavin Adcock’s show over the weekend at The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, Alabama, and it’s one of the most brutal in recent memory.
In a video posted to Instagram, at least six to eight people were involved in a brawl in the upper section of The Wharf. Though it’s a bit hard to decipher exactly what’s going on due to the person behind the camera getting blocked from view after folks rushed to break up the fight, it appears as if three separate fights were occurring simultaneously.
At this time, what and who started the fights is being disputed and fingers are pointing in every direction,
Over the past few years, especially in a post-COVID world, it seems as if fan behavior has hit an all-time low. From the ridiculous beer-throwing at Treaty Oak Revival concerts that left frontman Sam Canty with a gash under his eye and Riley Green needing stitches after a phone was hurled at him in Australia to Megan Moroney having a hat chucked at her and Morgan Wallen getting grabbed by a fan last year, and other country acts having similar bad experiences.
We reached out to the security team at the Wharf and the Orange Beach Police Department, but they have not returned our emails and phone calls.
The Instagram user who posted the video said that the most dangerous and downright scary one of them all was captured right in front of the Instagram user. Being the only one-on-one fight in the video, one man is shown pinning another man down to the bleacher seats before brutally kneeing him in the face three to four times, with his neck slamming against the bleacher floor.
Multiple concert attendees are claiming on social media platforms that there were upwards of four to six fights throughout the night, with one video (which was reposted by Adcock himself) claiming that someone split their head open, resulting in “so much blood.”
We have begun researching other concerts held at the Wharf during the past few years that also had instances of fights, violence or injured people and will soon post Part Two of this story.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
By Rick McCann/Dale Hines/J Thomas Wade Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
July 7, 2026
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. The holiday weekend brought tens of thousands of visitors to the Alabama Gulf Coast and for the most part, it was managed chaos. Traffic backed up along the Interstates and Baldwin County roadways as it normally does.
According to local police and ALEA, there were a few dozen traffic collisions, some with serious injuries and at least one traffic fatality was reported in the county.
There was also a domestic violence incident in Belforest resulting in a fatal stabbing and a second person critically injured. A seventeen-year-old has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
Local police, county deputies and ALEA troopers are also reporting over forty arrests during the holiday weekend with many involving drugs and alcohol violations. While the total statistics from Baldwin County law enforcement has not been calculated, information from the jail logs on both sides of the bay, speaks for themselves.
In recent years, as Baldwin County continues to grow in population and in popularity with tourists, crime of all types are rapidly growing as well.
The information collected so far is noted below but we are still waiting for other statistical data include DUI arrests, traffic collision data, and additional arrest information.
SARAH S ARMSTRONG 58 ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS Charge: Appears in Public Place Under Influence
CAELI MARIE BASINGER 32 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF 14 Charges Failure to Appear Felony Methamphetamine-Possess Possession of Marijuana 2nd
LUCAS DEANDRE DAVIS 31 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF 4 Charges ALIAS DRIVING W SUSPENDED Promote Prison Contraband (Drugs) Possession of Marijuana 2nd
STEVEN JOHN DOWNS 40 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges Unlawful Breaking and Entering of a Vehicle
DENROY ROLAND GAYLE 51 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charge Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol)
RICHARD JORDAN 41 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges Failure to register as Sex Offender
JESSE DAVID KNIGHTEN 37 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges13 charges Methamphetamine-Possess Possession Of Dangerous Drugs Obstructing Police- Attempting to Elude Police
HANNAH LEE LAMMON 26 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges Theft of Property 3rd
SEAN MATTHEW MALONEY 22 ALEA STATE TROOPER Charges: Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol) Open Container-Alcohol in a Vehicle
AARON DAVID MILLION 34 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges: Assault – Child Endangerment – Chemical Possession of Marijuana 2nd
JONATHAN RYAN MINOR 35 BAY MINETTE POLICE Charges-5 Failure to Appear Felony Failure to Appear Traffic
BRANDON DJUAN MITCHELL AUTRY 39 LOXLEY POLICE Charges 4 charges Possession of Marijuana 2nd Appears in Public Place Under Influence Drunk/Addict in Possession of a Firearm
ANGELICA CAROL MORRIS 35 ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS Charges 2 Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol) Open Container-Alcohol in a Vehicle
LAUREN CHRISTINA OWENS 36 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges 4 Possession Of Dangerous Drugs Traffic-Driving Under the Influence (Other Substance) Dangerous Drugs-IPOPD Illegal Possession of Prescription Drugs
LOGAN FREDERICK RAUS 21 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Drug Trafficking
WILLIAM TREY ROBERTS 21 ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS Charge Operating Vessel Under Influence
KODY LANDYN ROLLIN 30 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charge-Synthetic Narcotic-Possess
EDDONICE DENTRA ROYSTER 28 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges 2 Possession of Marijuana 2nd Assault – Child Endangerment – Chemical
ANTHONY DEON SCOTT 37 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charge Sell/Distribution Of Dangerous Drugs
JULIUS KA’LON FLOYD SHIVERS 26 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charge Failure to Register as Sex Offender
SARAH NASREEN SIDDIQI 34 ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS Charges Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol) Traffic- ILU Improper Lane Usage Exceeding Maximum Speed Limit
HANNEL LAVON SPROWES 37 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges 3 Drug Paraphernalia-1st Offense Conservation-Aggravated Cruelty to Animals Conservation-Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
PRISCILLA JILLIAN GEIGER DAPHNE POLICE Charge Fugitive From Justice
BRYANT LIONEL JEREMY GIBSON DAPHNE POLICE Offense Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol)
ROBERT KYLE KEAHEY DAPHNE POLICE Charge Parole Violation
WILLIAM PATRICK KELLY DAPHNE POLICE Charges Domestic Violence – Harassment
MARCO RONNELL WALLACE DAPHNE POLICE Charge Possession of Marijuana
RAPHEAL A LOTT DAPHNE POLICE Charge Public Intoxication
COREY EVERETTE SMITH DAPHNE POLICE Charge Driving Under the Influence
DANARIUS LAMON DIXON 34 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges Obstruction-Violation of a Domestic Violence Protection Order Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm
LYNNLEE LAUREL FOUTCH 33 GULF SHORES PD – AL0050400 Charges: Hallucinogen-Possess Possession of Marijuana 2nd Drug Paraphernalia-1st Offense
GARY CLARK JOHNSON 52 ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS Charge Operating Vessel Under Influence
CHARLES ANTHONY SANTUCCI 45 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges 3 Family Offense-Financial Exploitation of the Elderly 2nd degree Resisting Arrest Obstructing Governmental Operations
KEVIN EDWARD WALLACE 39 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Charges-3 Driving Under the Influence (Alcohol) Drug Paraphernalia-1st Offense Obstructing Police- Attempting to Elude Police
LAWSHAWNDA RENEE WILLIAMS 40 BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF Theft of Property 3rd
Among those being held at the Baldwin County Detention Center were 19 ICE detainees waiting to be transferred to a federal processing center.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. It has been reported by law enforcement that two small vessels collided with each other in the darkness on Saturday, July 4th, 2026.
The small boats crashed on the Tensaw River and one boat was flipped over.
Baldwin County 911 Communications reported that several fire departments, EMS and ALEA were dispatched to the area while a staging area was set up at Live Oak Landing.
During the operation, another boater stopped and rendered aid and got the people out of the water. Only minor injuries were sustained.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MONTGOMERY, AL. You may not have heard about it, but a new law that was passed by legislators to protect students and staff in our schools, is now a reality.
The law puts more teeth into what happens when a person is arrested for threats against a school and it went live on July 1st, 2026.
The 2026 bill was sponsored by State Rep. James Lomax (R-Huntsville), who carried it after former State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) moved to the upper chamber.
Before the new law, making a terrorist threat in the first degree was considered a Class C felony, and a Class A misdemeanor in the second degree.
The law has now increased those penalties for first-degree terrorist threats to a Class B felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine, and making terrorist threats has been increased to a Class D felony if prior offenses have occurred.
The new law also defines “credible threat” as: “A knowing and willful statement or course of conduct, which, based on the totality of the circumstances, would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of another.”
In instances where a school receives a “credible threat,” a principal is now required by law to contact law enforcement. No longer can school administrators make those decisions.
Woods began championing the bill in early 2025, after a wave of school threats plagued the state the previous year.
In late 2024, police across the state arrested well over a dozen juveniles for making online or in-person threats to multiple schools and nationwide, the threats have increased along with “swatting” in some incidents.
The law now allows serious consequences for those who intentionally spread fear and evil across our school campuses.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BELFOREST, Ala. On Sunday, July 5, 2026, just before 9:00 p.m., deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported assault on Augustine Drive in the Belforest community.
Deputies located an adult male and an adult female with apparent stab wounds and immediately rendered aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. A male juvenile was detained at the scene.
The adult female was pronounced deceased due to sustained injuries. The adult male was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he remains under medical care.
Investigators with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene personnel responded to investigate the incident, conduct interviews, and continue to process the scene and evidence.
The juvenile suspect has been charged with one count of Murder and one count of Attempted Murder.
The juvenile suspect’s identity will not be released at this time.
Authorities on Monday released the names of the victims: Samantha Baker, 37, who was pronounced deceased at the scene, and Lance Baker, 46, who was wounded.
Investigators have determined the incident was an isolated domestic matter, and there is no known threat to the public.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. On Saturday, as the Fairhope Pier parking areas began to fill up as they usually do during the 4th of July celebrations, residents and visitors alike were hit with a sudden announcement, parking for this special day would be at a premium. According to those in shock, the City of Fairhope, Public Works Department, was charging each vehicle, $20 to park. This information had not been released earlier in the week and was a total surprise as people looked to find a parking spot.
Geoffrey Barkin, a Fairhope businessman and partners in the Blind Tiger Restaurant that sits on the pier hit the social media platforms and offered to offer discounts for those eating at the Blind Tiger. We will discount the tab of anyone subjected to this tax. Take a picture of your badge of honor windshield tag you purchased for $20 from the City of Fairhope and show your server.
We apologize unreservedly for the City’s actions, Barkin said. Last year the restaurant offered to pay for parking for the entire summer, and the city denied our offer. Staff indicated that the City’s desire was to restrict the park and not open it to all.
Dozens of people took to social media to complain about the sudden parking fees and the lack of any communication from the city about the anticipated $20 parking.
Walking out on the Fairhope Municipal Pier is completely free year-round. However, if you park at the adjacent North Beach Park, non-residents are charged a fee of $20 per vehicle during the summer season. Fairhope residents (zip code 36532) park for free but must get a beach sticker from City Hall. The City of Fairhope enforces these summer parking fees at North Beach Park to manage high seasonal traffic, and public parking operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
While this has been enforced in years past, this year, there has frequently been no attendants at the booth and no vehicles have been charged a fee for days and weeks at a time until Saturday, July 4th, 2026, when the city decided to one again implement the $20 per vehicle fee.
We contacted the mayor’s office and several other government offices throughout the weekend, but they were all closed. We will again reach out to them during business hours today.
FORT MYERS, Fla. One person was directly struck by lightning and killed during the 4th of July holiday weekend while three others were also injured during a storm.
According to authorities a group of Florida beachgoers were struck by lightning when they hesitated to take cover as a thunderstorm rolled through the area.
The Fort Myers Beach Fire District said in a statement, “Crews were dispatched to the scene of a lightning strike involving multiple patients. Upon arrival, crews found one individual unresponsive, and three others who had to be transported.”
The unidentified male who was swimming was directly struck and died.
“A bystander had deployed an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and was performing CPR upon our arrival, the spokesperson stated, however due to the injuries sustained efforts were not successful.
“To our residents and visitors, please stay aware of the weather and the environment. You should immediately seek shelter when you hear thunder or see lightning. Please keep yourself and your family safe,” they said, adding “When thunder roars, go indoors.”
Florida leads the nation in terms of annual lightning strikes, according to the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), the primary U.S. lightning‑monitoring system. The Sunshine State is one of the highest-density lightning regions in the country.
July also poses the most danger for lightning strikes, per NOAA’s Storm Events Database. Historical casualty reports show a seasonal spike in lightning injuries and fatalities during the June and July months, over Florida’s peak thunderstorm season.
NOAA and NWS lightning guidance emphasize that lightning can strike 10–15 miles away from a storm’s core, well outside the area of rainfall.
Globally, lightning claims approximately 24,000 lives each year. In the United States, that number is significantly lower, averaging about 20 fatalities annually according to data from the National Weather Service.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
PENSACOLA, Fla. A mass shooting occurred early Sunday morning, July 5th, 2026, while most of us was asleep after celebrating the 4th of July.
But in Pensacola, emergency responders including the city police and fire departments, EMS and the county sheriff’s office responded to a deadly shooting at around 1:20 a.m.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom released minimal information at the time of the shooting as his officers worked to piece together the details, but he did reveal more information on Sunday morning’s deadly shooting in Downtown Pensacola during a press conference at police headquarters.
Winstrom began by saying more information has come to light as his officers worked through the night. What we know right now Winstrom said is that a 19-year-old man is among the seven people shot around between Jefferson Street and Palafox Street. Police officers tried to save the man, but he died at the scene.
Emergency responders said that six other people were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds that appear to be non-life threatening at this time.
The age of the victims ranges from 16 to 26 years old.
There were hundreds of teenagers downtown from various areas and that a confrontation may have led to the gunshots. We know that there was some fighting and throwing of fireworks but how it escalated into a shooting, we’re not sure. Multiple people were arrested. Officials say most of the illegal activities weren’t felonies. One man was arrested while holding a gun.
Winstrom says the shooting and other illegal activity happened while 50 extra officers were on the scene during Fourth of July celebrations.
Winstrom says 10-to-20 shots, possibly more, were fired. He says the shooting is “believed to be targeted.”
He said the shooter is not in police custody, and police haven’t identified the shooter.
Detectives are speaking with the victims and reviewing business surveillance during the time of the incident.
Of course, we’ll be working around the clock until the shooter is caught, the chief said.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BELFOREST, Ala. Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home in the Belforest community after the Baldwin County 911 Communications Center received a call about a person being dead.
Deputies, along with th Belforest Fire Department and Medstar, responded to a home on Augustine Drive and found one person deceased and a second person seriously injured.
Investigators said that this may be a domestic incident though they are still investigating and waiting for other forensic information to determine the exact cause.
Sheriff investigators said that one person is currently in custody.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
LOXLEY, Ala. A police pursuit involving a motorcycle ended Friday afternoon with a fatality.
Police said that the pursuit, a result of traffic violations, was initiated at approximately 4:00 p.m., Friday, July 3rd, 2026.
According to the Robertsdale Police Department, an officer spotted a motorcyclist riding recklessly on Highway 59 heading north in the southbound lanes.
The motorcyclist refused to pull over for police and the chase began near Central Baldwin Middle School and ended off Black Devine Road near Railroad Street in Loxley.
Police said that the driver endangered the public and himself.
As the pursuit continued, the motorcyclist hit a truck towing lawn equipment, leading to the death of the driver, who police have not identified.
Authorities said that the driver died on scene.
It is unknown if anyone else was injured.
ALEA troopers also responded to the scene and have taken over the investigation.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. A substantial increase to the Alabama education savings accounts created through Alabama’s CHOOSE Act are now fully funded for next school year, Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Wednesday.
Families whose applications were approved earlier this year can now access their funding through ClassWallet. The website sent out welcome emails about using the funds on or around July 1.
According to the Governor’s office, around 49,000 students, a record high, submitted applications for the 2026-2027 school year, according to their release. ALDOR approved more than 34,000 of those applications.
Gov. Ivey has championed the CHOOSE Act which allows parents to choose where their children are educated.
“The CHOOSE Act has changed the lives of thousands of Alabama families by enabling them to select schools that best align with their priorities and their child’s specific needs,” Ivey said in a release. “The increase in applications for the upcoming school year shows that the people of Alabama want school choice, and I am proud that we are able to give it to them.”
The Alabama Department of Revenue received 29,986 new applications for the 2026-27 school year, down from 36,873 last year, when every applicant was new to the program, according to information from the department.
However, the program is still very strong and a popular choice with many parents.
For the 2026-27 school year, lawmakers increased CHOOSE Act funding to $250 million, but by funding 34,000 students, ALDOR only used $174 million of this earmark.
Approved students enrolled in a participating school will receive $7,000. Students participating in homeschool or other home education programs will receive $2,000, with a maximum of $4,000 per family.
Other states have created similar programs and have dedicated the funding to ensure that parents can make independent decisions as to where their child goes to school.
The Legislature enacted the CHOOSE Act, short for Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act, in 2024, creating Alabama’s first statewide education savings account program. It allows eligible families to use public funds for approved education expenses, including tuition, textbooks, curriculum materials, school fees and certain educational services such as occupational or speech therapy.
While the law describes the ESA as a “refundable tax credit,” the program operates differently from a traditional tax credit. The ESAs are funded through the state’s Education Trust Fund, managed through ClassWallet and paid directly to schools or other approved providers. Families never handle the money themselves.
In Alabama, to be eligible for an education savings account, a family’s income cannot exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, about $80,000 for a family of three.
The release announcing this year’s award notification confirmed that the income requirement will be removed next year.
“The application process for the 2027-2028 academic year will begin in January 2027 and will be available to all Alabama families, regardless of household income,” the release said.
For more information, visit www.chooseact.alabama.gov.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FOLEY, Ala. A fire on Friday night may have been started by fireworks according to residents of the area.
The Foley Fire Department responded to the mobile home fire and upon arriving on the scene, found the structure to be heavily involved in fire with black smoke billowing from the home.
Foley police and EMS were also dispatched to the scene.
According to a report, several people in the area were shooting off fireworks which may have caused the fire though police have not confirmed that.
Foley firefighters stated that no one was in the mobile home at the time of the fire.
No injuries were reported.
The fire is under investigation.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
