Sister, community remember victims of Alabama birthday party shooting
Phil Dowdell's family speaks out as law enforcement identifies four shooting victims and asks the public for help finding the suspect.
LEARN MOREPosted: 7:33 a.m. EDT Apr 21, 2023
Six people have been arrested and now face murder charges in connection to a mass shooting at a 16th birthday party in Alabama that left four people dead.
A 15-year-old from Tuskegee, Alabama, was arrested Thursday night and formally charged with four counts of reckless murder, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. No further information was released due to the person's age.
According to the Tallapoosa County Sheriff's Office, Willie George Brown Jr., 19; and Johnny Letron Brown, 20, were arrested on Thursday and charged with four counts of reckless murder.
Three other arrests in the case were announced on Wednesday.
Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20; Travis McCullough, 16; and Ty Reik McCullough, 17, were all arrested and charged with four counts of reckless murder.
"When you pull out a gun and start shooting people, we're going to put you in jail," Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said on Wednesday.
The suspects are accused of killing four people and wounding more than 30 others on Saturday.
A motive for the shooting has not been established. However, the district attorney stated that the initial charges were just the "tip of the iceberg."
The four individuals who died were identified as Shaunkivia Nicole Smith, 17; Phil Dowdell, 18; Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 19; and Corbin Holston, 23.
Dowdell was reportedly the brother of the birthday girl and died in her arms.
The exact type of gun used in the shooting has not been revealed. However, authorities said that only shell casings from handguns had been discovered.
Authorities are asking people who were at the party to come forward with any information they may have.
"We need you to come forward for these families, for these victims," Burkett said.
