5th arrest made in Dadeville Sweet 16 party shooting

5th arrest made in Dadeville Sweet 16 party shooting

Yet another suspect was arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party that killed four and injured 32 others.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced charges against Willie George Brown Jr. He is 19 and lives in Auburn.

Brown is charged with four counts of reckless murder. Details of his arrest were not made public.

He is the fifth suspect charged so far.

Earlier Thursday, ALEA Sgt. Jeremy Burkett announced the arrest of 20-year-old Johnny Letron Brown of Tuskegee on the same charges.

On Wednesday, authorities announced the arrests of teen brothers from Tuskegee – Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16. Both also were charged as adults with four counts of reckless murder. They were taken into custody Tuesday night.

Later Wednesday, ALEA announced the arrest of Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, also on the same charges.

All five suspects are being held without bond in the Tallapoosa County Jail pending bond hearings. Prosecutors will ask all be held without bond.

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 on Wednesday.

A motive in the shooting has not been disclosed. Burkett 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 cases could then go to a grand jury.