Two teens have been arrested in connection with amass shooting at a Sweet 16 partythat killed four people and injured 28.The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday that Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, were arrested and formally charged with four counts of reckless murder. The FBI said the alleged shooters are brothers, according toNBC News.“Make no mistake: This is Alabama, and when you pull out a gun and you start shooting people, we’re going to put you in jail,” Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said at a Wednesday press conference.The teens will be charged as adults, District Attorney Mike Segrest said at the press conference, theAssociated Pressreported.Segrest said more charges are pending.Alabama Law Enforcement Agency/Twitter"We’ve still got four that are in the hospital, four that are in critical condition," Segrest said, according toCNN.Marsiah “Siah” Emmanuel Collins, 19; Philstavious Dowdell, 18; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23; and Shaunkivia “Keke” Nicole Smith, 17.The Saturday night shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville, according to theAssociated Press.Megan Varner/Getty ImagesThe four people killed were identified as Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, Shaunkivia “Keke” Smith, 17, Marsiah Collins, 19, and Corbin Holston, 23.Dowdell was attending his sister’s 16th birthday party when he was fatally shot.Dowdell was a standout player on the Dadeville High School’s football team and had a scholarship to play at Jacksonville State University in Alabama this fall,CNNreported.“He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Dowdell’s grandmother, Annette Allen, told theMontgomeryAdvertiseron Sunday.Smith, a student athletic manager for the Dadeville High School track team, was set to attend the University of Alabama in the fall, according to CNN.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.According to Holston’s mother Janett Heard, her son went to the party to check on a family member and was killed when he “unfortunately encountered the suspects,'' Heard toldAL.com.Megan Varner/Getty Images"Corbin was selfless when it came to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector. That’s just the type of person he was.“Collins, a former football player at Opelika High School, aspired to be a musician, according to AL.com. He was planning to go to college in the fall.“He was a great big brother to his sisters,” Collins' father, Martin Collins, toldAL.com. “He was a funny, charismatic kid who loved to light up a room. He had a lot of my mom’s personality. He could do that just being in a house.“After the shooting, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said they were “praying for [the victims'] families” ina statementover the weekend. “What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?” the president said.
Two teens have been arrested in connection with amass shooting at a Sweet 16 partythat killed four people and injured 28.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday that Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, were arrested and formally charged with four counts of reckless murder. The FBI said the alleged shooters are brothers, according toNBC News.
“Make no mistake: This is Alabama, and when you pull out a gun and you start shooting people, we’re going to put you in jail,” Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said at a Wednesday press conference.
The teens will be charged as adults, District Attorney Mike Segrest said at the press conference, theAssociated Pressreported.
Segrest said more charges are pending.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency/Twitter
“We’ve still got four that are in the hospital, four that are in critical condition,” Segrest said, according toCNN.
Marsiah “Siah” Emmanuel Collins, 19; Philstavious Dowdell, 18; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23; and Shaunkivia “Keke” Nicole Smith, 17.
The Saturday night shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville, according to theAssociated Press.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
The four people killed were identified as Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, Shaunkivia “Keke” Smith, 17, Marsiah Collins, 19, and Corbin Holston, 23.
Dowdell was attending his sister’s 16th birthday party when he was fatally shot.
Dowdell was a standout player on the Dadeville High School’s football team and had a scholarship to play at Jacksonville State University in Alabama this fall,CNNreported.
“He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Dowdell’s grandmother, Annette Allen, told theMontgomeryAdvertiseron Sunday.
Smith, a student athletic manager for the Dadeville High School track team, was set to attend the University of Alabama in the fall, according to CNN.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
According to Holston’s mother Janett Heard, her son went to the party to check on a family member and was killed when he “unfortunately encountered the suspects,'' Heard toldAL.com.
“Corbin was selfless when it came to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector. That’s just the type of person he was.”
Collins, a former football player at Opelika High School, aspired to be a musician, according to AL.com. He was planning to go to college in the fall.
“He was a great big brother to his sisters,” Collins' father, Martin Collins, toldAL.com. “He was a funny, charismatic kid who loved to light up a room. He had a lot of my mom’s personality. He could do that just being in a house.”
After the shooting, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said they were “praying for [the victims'] families” ina statementover the weekend. “What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?” the president said.
source: people.com
