Alabama judge: No bond for suspects in Sweet 16 shooting
A judge on Wednesday ordered the three adult suspects to be jailed without bond as they await trial on murder charges in connection with a deadly shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party that killed four in Alabama. District Judge Clayton Turner ordered Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn; Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee; and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, also of Auburn, to be held without bond. Court records were not immediately available for the three juvenile defendants in the case. The six are each charged with four counts of reckless murder in connection with the April 15 shooting in Dadeville that killed four and injured 32 people. During a Tuesday bond hearing, a state investigator described a bloody and chaotic crime scene in the aftermath of the shooting. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Special Agent Jess Thornton testified that 89 bullet casings were found and there was “blood everywhere” at the dance studio that hosted a teen’s Sweet 16 birthday party. Two Dadeville High School seniors, Phil Dowdell, 18, and Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, were killed. Also killed were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, and Corbin Holston, 23. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama police: 89 shots fired into crowded Sweet 16 party
An Alabama investigator on Tuesday described a bloody, chaotic crime scene littered with 89 bullet casings and other evidence after a shooting killed four young people and wounded dozens at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party. Authorities have charged six people with reckless murder. The lead investigator in the case testified at a court hearing that could determine if the three adults accused in last week’s shooting will be held without bond. The three juvenile defendants will have separate hearings. The judge did not immediately issue a ruling. “Multiple shell casings. Blood everywhere,” Special Agent Jess Thornton said. The crime scene was like nothing he’d encountered in 18 years with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, he said. Shell casings from four types of handguns were recovered at the dance studio just off the town square in Dadeville, about an hour’s drive northeast of Montgomery, Thornton said. Evidence indicates at least one of the handguns had been altered for rapid fire, he said. “Witnesses said it sounded like a machine gun.” Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting. Thornton said the six defendants are relatives or friends. They were not invited to the party but had traveled from Auburn and Tuskegee to attend it. Thornton said five of the six defendants admitted being at the party and firing guns. The sixth suspect did not admit being there, but the co-defendants said he was there and fired a gun, Thornton said. The investigator said at least five of the six met after the party at a parking lot in a nearby city. The three adult defendants are Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn; Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee; and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, also of Auburn. However, a defense lawyer suggested that one of the slain partygoers had fired first. George Bulls, a lawyer for Willie Brown, asked the state investigator if there were at least some statements about one of the deceased individuals, Corbin Holston, being the one who started the shooting. Thornton replied that was true. Thornton testified that Holston, 23, of Dadeville, was found with a 40-caliber gun sitting on his chest. Thornton said the position of the gun, which had been fired, struck him as odd. “Almost like it was placed there,” Thornton said. Thornton said there were about 50 to 60 people crammed inside the party venue, which measured about 38 feet (12 meters) by 26 feet (8 meters) when the gunfire erupted. Earlier in the evening, there was a loud noise when a speaker fell over, and at least one person lifted their shirt to indicate they had a gun, Thornton said. That led to an announcement telling people with guns to leave. The shooting happened shortly after, he said. He did not say if the person who lifted their shirt was one of the defendants. Two Dadeville High School seniors, Phil Dowdell, 18, and Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, were killed. Also killed were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, and Holston, 23. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Police make 6th arrest in Alabama Sweet 16 party shooting
Investigators on Thursday charged a sixth person with reckless murder in connection with a deadly shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party, saying in court documents they believe gunmen shot into the crowd during the celebration. Investigators said in court documents filed Thursday that they believe five of those charged were present at the party on April 15 and “discharged firearms into the crowd,” resulting in the deaths of four people. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday night announced the arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile from Tuskegee, Alabama, the sixth person charged in the case, but court records were not released because of the person’s age. All six face reckless murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting, the state agency said. The Sweet 16 birthday, at a dance studio just off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted. Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting. The shooting killed four young people, ranging in age from 17 to 23, and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. Besides the four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically. Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee, were arrested Tuesday. Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, Alabama, was arrested Wednesday. Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, were arrested Thursday. All are charged with four counts of reckless murder, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The district attorney said the teens will be tried as adults as required by Alabama law when anyone 16 or older is charged with murder. All of the suspects are being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail with no bond with the exception of the 15-year-old, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The birthday girl’s brother, 18-year-old Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell of Camp Hill, Alabama, died as his sister knelt beside him, begging him to keep breathing. He and another fatal victim, 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith of Dadeville, were high school seniors. Also slain were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika, Alabama, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville. The shooting was the 16th mass killing in the U.S. this year. A 17th took place in Maine on Tuesday. A total of 88 people have died in mass killings so far in 2023. A mass killing is defined as the slaying of four or more people other than the perpetrator, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Investigators: Gunmen fired into crowd at Sweet 16 party
Investigators said five people charged in a deadly shooting at Sweet 16 birthday party had fired guns into the crowd at the celebration. Investigators wrote in court documents filed Thursday that they believe the five were present at the party and “discharged firearms into the crowd,” resulting in the deaths of four people. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced two additional arrests on Thursday, for a total of five people facing reckless murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting. The shooting at the Sweet 16 birthday killed four young people, ranging in age from 17 to 23, and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. Besides the four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically. The party, at a dance studio just off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted. Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting. Tyreese “Ty Reik”, 17, of Tuskegee and Travis McCullough, 16, of Tuskegee were arrested Tuesday. Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, was arrested Wednesday. and Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee, and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, were arrested Thursday. All are charged with four counts of reckless murder, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The district attorney said the teens will be tried as adults as required by Alabama law when anyone 16 or older is charged with murder. All of the suspects are being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail with no bond. The birthday girl’s brother, 18-year-old Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell of Camp Hill, died as his sister knelt beside him begging him to keep breathing. He and another fatal victim, 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith of Dadeville, were high school seniors. Also slain were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville. The shooting was the 16th mass killing in the U.S. this year. A 17th took place in Maine on Tuesday. A total of 88 people have died in mass killings so far in 2023. A mass killing is defined as the slaying of four or more people other than the perpetrator, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama teens charged with murder in Sweet 16 party shooting
Two teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a shooting that killed four young people at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party, Alabama investigators announced Wednesday. Tallapoosa County District Attorney Mike Segrest said the pair — Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee — would be tried as adults. That’s automatically required in Alabama for anyone 16 or older charged with murder. Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency wouldn’t say where the two are being jailed, or whether they were already in custody when they were charged late Tuesday. Authorities did not specify if they were related. “We can’t get into a motive right now, because that would be part of an ongoing investigation,” Burkett added. “We can’t share that.” Segrest said prosecutors would ask a judge to hold them without bail. A bond hearing must be held by Friday under Alabama law. Online court records do not show any previous adult charges in state court for either of the arrested teens. Saturday’s violence shocked Dadeville, a sleepy town of 3,200 about 45 minutes north of Tuskegee. The shooting was the 16th mass killing of the year in the United States. A 17th took place in Maine on Tuesday. A total of 88 people have died in the killings so far in 2023. A mass killing is defined as when four or more people were slain, other than the perpetrator, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The birthday girl’s brother, 18-year-old Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell of Camp Hill, died in his sister’s arms. He and another victim, 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith of Dadeville, were high school seniors. Families were left planning funerals instead of graduation celebrations. Also killed were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville. Another 32 people were wounded, and Segrest said four are still in critical condition. He said more charges would be coming. “We’re going to make sure every one of those victims has justice, not just the deceased,” Segrest said, speaking to reporters from the steps of the Tallapoosa County courthouse. A family member of KeKe Smith was thankful for the arrests. “It don’t make the hurt any easier. But we are relieved that they (the suspects) are not out in the community,” Amy Jackson said in a phone interview Wednesday morning. Alexis Dowdell’s birthday party was being held at a dance studio just off the town square. Witnesses said multiple people began shooting some time after her mother paused the celebration to ask people with guns to leave. “It’s Lexi’s 16th birthday party, Sweet Sixteen,” Segrest said. “There’s uncut cake and unburned 16 candles that never got lit. Lexi’s brother was one of the victims. On her 16th birthday party, she knelt by her brother as he took his last breath.” Alexis Dowdell told The Associated Press on Monday said her brother pushed her down onto a blood-slick floor during the shooting. “I guess he tried to push me out the door as fast as he could.” She and her mother, Latonya Allen, ran away but returned to find Phil Dowdell bleeding to death and fading in and out of consciousness. Phil Dowdell was a star wide receiver with plans to play college football at Jacksonville State University. Smith was a talented athlete who became a team manager after she was sidelined by a knee injury. Collins was a 2020 Opelika High School graduate who planned to start college in the fall after taking a year off to try his hand at music. Holston was a 2018 Dadeville High graduate and former athlete at the school. Segrest said dozens of teens from multiple nearby towns attended the party, spreading trauma across the region like a “wave.” “There were so many kids in this venue, and what they saw, they’re victims in this,” he said. “Their families are victims of this.” The district attorney said that grand jurors typically meet in Tallapoosa County in March and September, but he said he would recall grand jurors to seek an indictment before September. “If we can establish the facts and are ready to present that, we will be asking our grand jury to come back in,” Segrest said. This was the first police news conference since Sunday. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency had said only that shell casings from handguns had been found, noting that there was no evidence a high-powered rifle was used. Burkett again appealed for information from attendees and the public. In 2020, Alabama had the fifth highest rate of gun deaths in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Somebody’s got to start thinking about Mama because I know I’m tired of it, and everybody behind me is tired of it,” Burkett said. “We’re tired of going to the mothers and having to tell them that these kids are not coming home.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama police ask partygoers for images from birthday shooting
Two days after gunfire erupted at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama — killing four people, including two high school seniors — state police are asking people to come forward if they have video or photographs from the party. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said it has worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to establish a digital tip line for videos and photos. As of Tuesday afternoon, officials had released little information about the investigation. “Special Agents are still in the process of gathering and examining information,” the agency said in its last public statement, which was issued Monday. “Investigators are still processing all of the evidence, in conjunction with completing interviews, in an effort to solidify a motive and potential suspects.” In addition to the four young people killed, another 32 were injured, some critically. The melee rocked the sleepy town of about 3,200 people. Families were planning funerals instead of graduation celebrations for the two high school seniors. The four people killed were: Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, a senior at Dadeville High School senior and a star wide receiver with plans to play college football in the fall; fellow Dadeville High senior Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, an athlete-turned-team manager; 2022 Opelika High School graduate Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, an aspiring singer who planned to start college this fall; and 2018 Dadeville High graduate Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, another former athlete at the school. Holston had gone to the party to check on a younger family member who feared trouble, Holston’s mother Janett Heard told AL.com. Relatives told the news outlet that the shooting began shortly after Holston arrived and that he pulled his younger relative to safety. Lawmakers held a moment of silence Tuesday on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives to remember those killed. “It is a sad day for the state when something so senseless happens. Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones in this attack and ask you to continue to pray for healing and recovery for the community,” state Rep. Ed Oliver of Dadeville said. ADVERTISEMENT Members of the Legislative Black Caucus said it is time for the state to address gun violence. In 2020, Alabama had the fifth highest rate of gun deaths in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Caucus members, who hold a minority of seats in the GOP-controlled Alabama Legislature, spoke at a funeral home owned by Smith’s grandfather. “I am tired of hearing the wails and the cries of parents and families that have lost their loved ones, and elected officials have not acted,” state Democratic Sen. Merika Coleman said.
