PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) – Two men are dead Saturday afternoon in an apparent shooting on the Phenix City Riverwalk, according to Russell County District Attorney-elect Rick Chancey.

The crime scene is just north of the Troy University Phenix City campus and across the Chattahoochee River from the TYSY campus. Phenix City Police and the Russell County DA’s Office are on the scene.

No motive or connections between the victims was yet known, Chancey said.

“The suspect, we are told, some people saw people fleeing from the scene — one or two individuals — fleeing from the scene is all we know,” Chancey said.

The shooting sparked concern on the Columbus side of the river. There has been a heavy police presence in downtown Columbus this afternoon. Columbus State University put out a text alert to its students and staff at 2:36 p.m. Saturday that there had been a shooting in Phenix City and a suspect was last seen near the Hotel Indigo in downtown Columbus. He was described in the text as a black male wearing a teal hoodie.

Just after 4 p.m., Columbus State put out another Cougar Alert saying at this time they had no reason to believe the suspect was still in the area of Hotel Indigo. That hotel is on the Columbus side of the river just off the Frank K. Martin 14th Street Pedestrian Bridge.

Just after 5 p.m., Columbus Police in response to a question from our sister station WRBL sent the following: “At this time we have not received any information that the gunman is in Columbus.”

Officials were on the scene in Phenix City at 3:30 collecting evidence and starting the investigation.

The deceased appeared to be on or near the riverwalk, a recreational path that runs along the river. 

WRBL will continue to bring more information to you as it becomes available.