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Savannah shooting: What happened at MLK and Bay Street? Active shooter alert emerges
Savannah shooting update: Reports about a man with a gun in the area of MLK and Bay Street emerged on Thursday
Savannah shooting update: Reports about a man with a gun in the area of MLK and Bay Street emerged on Thursday. The Savannah Police Department responded to the situation, asking the public to avoid the area at this time.
Savannah active shooter alert
In a message to residents, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) noted: “As of today (January 22, 2026), there are reports of an incident involving an **armed man** in the area of MLK (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) and Bay Street. This is nearby (Bay Street runs parallel/close to parts of River Street in the downtown area), and police have asked the public to avoid the vicinity while they respond. No widespread details on injuries, resolution, or direct ties to Adler Hall are confirmed in public sources yet, but it's an active situation with police presence.”
SPD arrests man linked to fatal hit-and-run
Meanwhile, Savannah police arrested a 38-year-old man months after a deadly hit-and-run that claimed the life of a well-known local cyclist earlier this year. Authorities said Byron Reedy was taken into custody on Wednesday and now faces multiple felony and traffic-related charges, including homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run resulting in death, serious injury by motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, and failure to yield to a bicyclist.
Investigators also charged him with driving without a tag or insurance and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
The case stems from an April 9, 2025, crash at the intersection of Skidaway Road and East 49th Street. Officers from the Savannah Police Department’s Traffic Investigation Unit responded to reports of a cyclist being struck by a vehicle that fled the scene. The victim, later identified as Larry Haywood, was transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Police said the arrest comes amid heightened concern over a series of hit-and-run cases in Savannah and Chatham County. Just last week, prosecutors indicted a woman on a first-degree vehicular homicide charge in connection with the death of another cyclist, 59-year-old Thomas Johnson.
