Alabama shooting update: Fourth suspect arrested in Dadeville Sweet 16 party attack

A fourth person has now been charged in connection with the shooting at Sweet 16’s birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama.

Johnny Letron Brown, 20, was arrested Thursday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

Tragedy has struck every corner in the small town of just 3,200 people, Amy Jackson said The Independent On Monday. Ms Jackson’s cousin Keke Nicole Smith is among those killed – and she has at least two other loved ones who are recovering in hospital. Her fiance’s cousin, Corbin Holston, was also killed in the attack.

“It’s still fresh. It has not leaked out that this is actually happening. It’s a tight-knit community, people know everyone. “Your kids are the kind of community for our kids,” Ms. Jackson said. “And it’s just hard to believe that what we usually see on TV is our reality.”

Tallapoosa District Attorney Mark Sergist said more charges are expected. The suspects will have a bail hearing within the next 72 hours, and prosecutors are expected to ask a judge to hold them without bail.

Mr Sergist got emotional as he announced the developments, saying some of the victims were children of his longtime friends. He said the grand jury normally meets in March and September in Tallapoosa County, but he said he will call the grand jury back to bring an indictment before September

“There’s an uncut cake and unburned birthday candles that were never lit,” he said. “I know some of these victims personally… These are my children, these are our children, you don’t mess with our children.”

Police in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, are continuing their investigation into the mass shooting at a teenager’s birthday party that killed four and injured 32 others.

The violence broke out around 10:34 p.m. Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in downtown Dadeville, where Alexis Dowdell was celebrating her 16th birthday with friends and family.

The Independent’

The three men arrested earlier this week have each been charged with four counts of reckless murder.

Tallapoosa County District Attorney Mark Sergist said Wednesday that more charges would follow.

“We will make sure that every sacrifice is fair, not just the deceased,” Sergist said. “Although they are 16 and 17 year olds, we will count them as adults.”

Mr Sergist got emotional as he announced the developments, saying some of the victims were children of his longtime friends. He said the grand jury normally meets in March and September in Tallapoosa County, but he would recall a panel to bring an indictment before September.

Joining hundreds of local residents, Taniya Cox, an 18-year-old who was shot twice in the right arm while fleeing the party, told CBS News that Phil and Alexis Dowdell’s mother had just shot everyone with a gun ordered to leave the party. The shootout ensued.

“The mother said whoever had guns had to come out and they didn’t come out and five minutes later the shooting started,” Ms Cox said.

“I ran in front of a bullet and got shot. I didn’t know what was going on, I just saw blood pouring out of my arm.”

Authorities said earlier this week they did not find any high-powered rifle ammunition at the scene. They found numerous shell casings used in handguns.

Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and his 16-year-old brother Travis McCullough were arrested by Alabama police in connection with the Dadeville shooting that killed four people.

However, a 36-year-old man, also named Travis McCullough, has received threats and hate messages on social media.

“I was afraid to go outside just because of the news and comments I saw,” Mr McCullough said .

Mr McCullough works as a delivery driver and lives 40 miles northeast in the valley. He initially started deleting the hate comments and DMs, but later realized he might need proof of the threats in case something bad happened.

“I’ve been careful with that all day,” he said. “Just know, I’m not the one who did it.”

Authorities on Wednesday announced the arrests of 17-year-old Ty Reik McCullough, 16-year-old Travis McCullough and 20-year-old Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., three days after four people were shot and 32 killed at a Sweet 16 party had been injured. According to local outlet AL.com, the teenage suspects are brothers.

The teenagers were taken into custody Tuesday night while Mr LaMar was arrested Wednesday night. They were charged with four counts of negligent homicide.

Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said during a news conference that a motive for the shooting has been determined, but details are not being shared with the public at this time.

“Please understand that given the violence and scale of events, we are absolutely in the early stages of the investigation,” said Sgt. Burkett. „Das ist der Anfang, das ist nicht das Ende. Its a lot to do.”

Three suspects have now been charged in the mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama.

Travis McCullough, 16, his brother Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Wilson LaMar Hill Jr, 20, have all been charged with four counts of reckless murder.

The motive for the attack is still unknown.

At a news conference Wednesday, Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency declined to speak about how investigators believe the shooting unfolded.

“We are unable to address a motive at this time as it would be part of an ongoing investigation,” he said.

“We can’t share that.”