3rd arrest made in Dadeville birthday party shooting that killed 4, injured 32
A third suspect was arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with the shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party that killed four and injured 32 others.
Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, was taken into custody about 2:30 p.m., according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He is charged with four counts of reckless murder.
Authorities earlier in the day announced the arrests of two teen brothers from Tuskegee – Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16. Both also were charged as adults with four counts of reckless murder.
The McCullough brothers were taken into custody about 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Ty Reik McCullough, a Booker T. Washington High School football player, and Hill are being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail. Authorities have not said where Travis McCullough is being held.
All three are being held without bond pending a hearing.
Under Alabama law, the crime of reckless murder is committed when a person recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself or herself and causes the death of another person.
“There is a tremendous amount of work to do. We’re going to be careful with everything we say and everything we do. We’re going to stay focused on the victims and their families,” said Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Burkett has not disclosed where any of the arrests were made. He also would not say how many guns were fired or how many shots were fired.
Killed in the shooting were Philstavious Dowdell, 18, Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17, Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23.
Another 32 people were injured, some of them critically, when gunfire erupted at approximately 10:34 p.m. Saturday at Mahogany’s Masterpiece dance studio on North Broadnax Street in downtown Dadeville, one block from the courthouse.
The party was for Dowdell’s sister, Alexis Dowdell, who said her brother died protecting her.
Dowdell said she dove to the floor near the DJ as the dozens of revelers ran. She “didn’t know where to run,” in part because shots seemed to come from multiple directions.
When there was a break in gunfire, she bolted for the front door. But someone pushed her. It was her brother, trying to protect her.
The investigation is ongoing by multiple law enforcement agencies.
District Attorney Mike Segrest said the suspects will have an Aniah’s Law bond hearing within 72 hours, and then a preliminary hearing in the coming weeks. The case could then go to a grand jury.
Prosecutors will be requesting they be held without bond.