[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Police arrived at Reynolds' home in Tuscumbia's black neighborhood to arrest him on a charge of obtaining property under false pretenses.
According to the Richmond Planet, Reynolds opened fire immediately on the sheriff and deputy who came to the door, killing both.
In the ensuing gun battle, Reynolds killed five more white men, totaling seven.
[8] After four hours, the posse set fire to the house in which he was barricaded and, in attempting to escape, Reynolds was shot to death.
[10] Racial tensions were high after the incident and, the following day in nearby Florence, Alabama, a prominent white butcher was arrested for killing and butchering a black patron who praised Reynolds.