The amount of reward money for information in the fatal Mother’s Day shooting of a Montgomery grandmother continues to rise.
Gloria Crew, 64, was killed in front of her grandchildren in the yard of her south Montgomery home on May 12. No arrests have been made.
Central Alabama Crime Stoppers on Monday that reward money for information in Crews’ slaying now stands at $20,000, which includes $15,000 from Montgomery City Council members Cornelius Calhoun, Glen Pruitt, and Oronde Mitchell, $4,000 from Montgomery County Commissioner Ronda Walker and $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
About 40 people were gathered at Crews’ Cobbinton Road that Sunday.
Close friend Carron Morrow said Crews was hosting about 40 family members when, about 7 p.m., a gunman or gunmen emerged from a wooded area, approached the home and opened fire.
A bullet meant for someone else struck Crews in the neck as she was trying to usher children to safety inside the house.
“She heard the shots, and she was trying to save all these little children,’’ Morrow said.
Crews fell to her lawn, where she was pronounced dead.
“My heart is just broken that these children had to watch the light of their life die in front of them for a senseless murder,’’ Morrow said.
Morrow said the shooter or shooters took the life of a wonderful person.
“I truly want to celebrate the Christian servant that she was,’’ she said. “She didn’t have a bad bone in her body.”
Morrow plans to attend the Montgomery City Council this week to try to address gun violence in the community.
“The devil will not win this battle and leave a seed of hate in this family’s hearts, especially these little children,’’ Morrow said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867) or 1-833-AL1-STOP (251-7867). Texts can also be submitted through the agency’s P3-tips app.