Filings reveal motive, more in Montgomery double homicide

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Court documents are shedding new light on what’s alleged to have taken place in Monday morning’s double homicide in Montgomery’s Gibbs Village.

Tarus Giles, 20, was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility Wednesday after being charged with killing two women, identified as Undrea Willis, 25, and Nalyn Reeves, 19.

WSFA 12 News is now getting details about why Giles is facing four counts of capital murder.

According to court filings:

• Two charges are for capital murder of two or more people
• One charge is for capital murder in presence of a child under 14
• One charge is for capital murder during a burglary

Court filings state that Giles forced his way into the home, located in the 1800 block of Gibbs Circle, by coming through the living room window after the victims had locked the door.

The records also indicate Reeves’ 10-month-old son was in the home at the time of the deadly shooting.

Filings show that Reeves had taken legal steps to prevent Giles from contacting her, filing two protection from abuse orders (PFAs) last year.

Both were dismissed, the first because neither party showed up to court, and the second because papers were never served to Giles, according to court records.

First responders were called to the Gibbs Village Housing Complex in west Montgomery, off Mobile Highway, around 8:30 a.m. on reports of people having been shot.

Police and medics found Willis and Reeves with life-threatening gunshot wounds, but MPD said both died on the scene.

The women are the city’s 36th and 37th homicide victims of 2026, according to police.

REACTION

“I know those incidents are concerning to residents, they are especially concerning to me. They all involve young people in their 20s who knew one another,” said Mayor Steven Reed, who addressed the violence in his monthly briefing on Monday. “All involve people who should have been able to avoid conflict without resorting to deadly violence. We have to remember ourselves, whether it’s a friend or loved one, to try and help when we see signs of need or signs of distress.“

Following the shooting, local leaders, law enforcement, and housing officials commented on solutions to address community safety and prevent future violence on Tuesday.

Gibbs Village is located in Montgomery City Council District 4, represented by Councilor Franetta Riley. In the wake of the tragedy, Riley emphasized the urgent need to protect the community’s children and support grieving families.

“We had small kids that lost their parent yesterday, a family right now is grieving that we must do something to activate, to make sure we get a safe place,” Riley said. “We got to have safe zones.”

The Montgomery Police Department is working to address immediate safety concerns by increasing patrols in the area.

When asked if Gibbs Village is currently safe for parents to raise children, Montgomery Police Department Lieutenant Willie Stewart responded, “Yes, I do... And we’re going to have more officers out here. We’ve been discussing that.”

The Montgomery Housing Authority is exploring structural changes to restrict access to the neighborhood, aiming to monitor and limit who can enter Gibbs Village and when.

“Fencing going up, controlled access gates and fencing that’s going up. That’s going to help us monitor as well as make certain that our residents feel safer,” said Monica Whiting, CEO of the Montgomery Housing Authority.

In addition to physical security measures, the housing authority is considering introducing new programs at Montgomery community centers. These programs would focus on teaching children conflict resolution, anger management, and other essential life skills.

WSFA 12 News also spoke to Essence DuBose, a counseling coordinator for the Family Sunshine Center in Montgomery that deals with domestic violence every day.

While DuBose can’t speak on this case specifically, she says PFAs are a more complicated decision than it may seem.

“It is a lot that comes into play with protection from abuse orders. One, a protection from abuse order could possibly make things worse. In some cases, it’s children involved. Some individuals want to do what’s best for the children. I think a lot of individuals want to have that two-party household, two-parent household,” DuBose said. “A lot of individuals think that (PFAs) are right then, right now. And it is a process.”

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