Eighty-nine empty shell casings recovered. Seven guns were fired, and two of those guns had been illegally altered to fire automatically. Four people were dead and there was “blood everywhere.” That’s how a state investigator described the scene of the April 15 mass shooting in Dadeville.
Five of the co-defendants charged in the case had an Aniah’s Law hearing Tuesday morning before Tallapoosa District Judge Clayton Taylor. Prosecutors want the defendants held without bond, which Aniah’s Law allows when charges are filed in certain violent crimes. Taylor did not immediately make a decision in the matter, but said he would enter an order “within 24 hours.”
The shooting during a “sweet 16” birthday party at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville claimed four lives.
Killed were Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17, Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19 and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston 23. Thirty-two people were injured, some critically.
Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, of Tuskegee and Travis McCullough, 16, also of Tuskegee were both arrested on April 18. They are brothers. Mister Turth is identifying the McCulloughs because of the serious nature of the charges and the fact that they are being charged as adults. Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, was arrested April 19, and Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, were arrested on April 20. The Browns are cousins.
A 15-year-old juvenile, from Tuskegee was arrested April 20. His name has not been released due to his age. All have been charged with four counts of reckless murder each.
State Bureau of Investigations agent Jesse Thornton was the only witness called by the state. He is the lead agent in the case. In his testimony he described the chaotic scene that unfolded when a small, dimly lit room packed with more than 50 partygoers, mostly teenagers, erupted with gunfire at about 10:30 p.m.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigations show that seven handguns were fired, and two of those guns had been illegally altered to fire automatically. The pistols were semi-automatic, meaning one round is fired for each pull of the trigger. By altering the guns, several rounds could be fired with each trigger pull.
Of the shell casings recovered, four calibers were found: 9 mm, 45 cal., 40 cal. and 22 cal. Thornton said. Five of the co-defendants allegedly admitted to investigators to being at the party and firing, Thornton said. The exception was Willie Brown Jr. who did not admit to firing a weapon, Thornton said.
However, Willie Brown Jr. is a suspect in an Auburn shooting that occurred after the Dadeville shooting, where the spent 40 cal. rounds recovered at the Auburn shooting scene match spent rounds found in Dadeville, Thornton said.
Co-defendants have said Willie Brown Jr. fired at the party, Thornton said. One of the co-defendants was wearing an ankle monitor since he was on bond in an unrelated Tuskegee shooting, Thornton said. He did not identify which co-defendant. The GPS tracker on the ankle monitor place him at the scene, he said.
Two guns were found on victims inside the studio, he said. One was found on the chest of Holston, and that gun had been fired inside the studio, Thornton said. A 45 cal. handgun was found on Collins’ “person,” but the BATFE investigations show that handgun had not been fired, Thornton said.
On cross examination, George Bulls, attorney for Willie Brown Jr., questioned Thornton about Holston’s role in the shooting. Holston was wearing a ski mask, Bulls said, and fired the first shot.
“That’s what witness testimony is,” Thornton said. The SBI investigator also commented that it was unusual to have a handgun placed on top of Holston’s chest, saying it was as if “…someone placed it there.”
Thornton testified that the co-defendants know one another and “met up” at a residence in Tuskegee before going to the party. They travelled to the party in different vehicles, he said. After the shooting, at least five of the six co-defendants “met up” with one another again at a parking lot at the high school football stadium in Tallassee, Thornton said.
The co-defendants were not invited to the party but heard about it on social media and some of the co-defendants knew other people who were going to the party, Thornton said.
The room where the shooting happened is 38 feet long and 26 feet wide, he said. Before the shooting, an adult announced that anyone over 18 who had guns would have to leave. Witness testimony brought forth that before the announcement, several young men in the building had shown they had guns, or pulled up their shirts showing guns on their person, Thornton said.
The shooting started a few minutes after the adult made the announcement that anyone with guns would have to leave. The co-defendants were together in a rear corner of the room when the shooting began, Thornton said. The venue had one entrance and exit – the front doors – and the doors opened into the room, he said. The four bodies were found “…laid together, side by side,” near the front door, he said.
The Browns and Hill appeared in the first bond hearing, which lasted about an hour. They were escorted into the courtroom wearing grey striped jail garb and restrained in leg irons, handcuffs and belly chains. Each wore a bullet resistant vest. The McCullough brothers had their hearing after a short recess. Taylor had that hearing in a closed courtroom due to their ages.
District Attorney Mike Segrest asked Thornton if he felt the Browns and Hill were threats to the community, if given bond.
“Yes,” the investigator said.
“Given the charges, do they pose a flight risk?” Segrest continued.
“Yes,” Thornton said.
The safety of the three could also be at risk, since threats have been made towards them on social media, Thornton said.
During her cross examination, Anna Parker, who represents Hill, asked Thornton if he knew Hill had stayed behind after the shooting to render life-saving aid to some of the victims.
Thornton said he was not aware of Hill coming to the aid of victims.
“In a dark room, 38 by 26 feet, packed with witnesses, could the witnesses not have accurately seen things?” she said.
“That’s possible,” Thornton said.
Parker also asked Thornton whether Hill had ever been arrested or charged before this. Thornton said to his knowledge Hill had never been in trouble before the Dadeville shooting.
David Dawson, Johnny Brown’s attorney, asked Thornton if any witnesses identified his client as having fired at the party.
Thornton said no witnesses said he fired, but that co-defendants stated that Brown fired and Brown admitted to investigators that he fired.
Segrest said he wants the 15-year-old who was arrested in the case to be charged as an adult, but that would take a decision from a juvenile court judge.
Reckless murder is a Class A felony with a punishment range of 10 years to life in prison.