William Reynolds

William Reynolds was an African American railroad worker living in Tuscumbia, Alabama, at the beginning of the 20th century. Very little is known about his early life, family background, or education, which is consistent with the limited documentation commonly available for Black laborers in the Jim Crow South. Contemporary newspaper accounts describe him as having no prior criminal convictions before the events of April 1902.

Reynolds lived in Tuscumbia’s Black neighborhood during a period marked by extreme racial segregation, systemic discrimination, and frequent racial violence. African Americans in Alabama at the time faced aggressive policing, limited legal protections, and the constant threat of mob violence. Arrests of Black citizens—particularly for alleged property crimes.

On April 6, 1902, authorities sought to arrest Reynolds on a charge of obtaining property under false pretenses, a non‑violent offense. The precise details of the allegation are unclear, and no trial or formal court proceedings ever occurred.

On April 6, 1902, law enforcement officers arrived at William Reynolds’ home in Tuscumbia to carry out his arrest. According to contemporary reporting, including accounts published by The Richmond Planet, the sheriff and a deputy approached Reynolds’ door. What occurred at the threshold remains partially disputed, but multiple sources state that Reynolds opened fire almost immediately, killing Sheriff Charles Gassaway, aged 33, and Deputy William Gassaway, his brother.

Following the initial shootings, Reynolds barricaded himself inside his home. News of the killings spread rapidly, and a large armed posse of white law enforcement officers and civilians assembled. Over the course of the next four hours, a prolonged gun battle took place between Reynolds and the posse. From inside the house, Reynolds continued firing, killing five additional white men, bringing the total number of fatalities to seven. 

Those killed were: Sheriff Charles Gassaway (33); Deputy William Gassaway; Deputy Jesse Davis; Deputy James Payne; Deputy Pat A. Prout; Deputy Bob Wallace; Hugh Jones Two additional men, James Finney and Bob Patterson, were wounded during the exchange.