Arrests Made in Alabama Sweet Sixteen Massacre

PM: Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a shooting that took the lives of four young people during a Sweet Sixteen birthday party in Alabama.

Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCollough, 16, both from Tuskegee, are reportedly going to be tried as adults in the case. The Associated Press noted that this rule is automatically applied in Alabama for those over the age of 16 who have been tried for murder. Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett, with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, would not share where the teenagers are currently being held, or if they were in custody when they were charged on Tuesday.

He said: “We can’t get into a motive right now, because that would be part of an ongoing investigation.”

“We can’t share that.”

ALL VICTIMS IDENTIFIED: Community heartbroken by the tragic loss of Marsiah Collins, Corbin Holston, Phil Dowell & Shaunkivia Smith in a senseless act of violence at a Sweet Sixteen celebration in Dadeville, AL. We must unite to end such violence, and not use it to score some… pic.twitter.com/OZjWweEKKe

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) April 17, 2023

Mike Segrest, the Tallapoosa County District Attorney, stated that prosecutors would be asking the judge to hold the teens without bail. The AP reported that, under Alabama law, a bond hearing would have to be held by Friday.

Saturday’s shooting that left four dead and 28 injured took place in Dadeville, a small town of 3,200, roughly 45 minutes north of Tuskegee.

Segrest noted that while four people were killed, there are still four in critical condition. He also mentioned that there would be more charges filed.

“We’re going to make sure every one of those victims has justice, not just the deceased,” Segrest said.

The shooting began at Alexis Dowdell’s birthday party after her mother paused the event to ask those with firearms to leave. It is unclear why the perpetrators had guns at the event, as a motive has not yet been established.

Segrest said: “It’s Lexi’s 16th birthday party, Sweet Sixteen. There’s uncut cake and unburned 16 candles that never got lit. Lexi’s brother was one of the victims. On her 16th birthday party, she knelt by her brother as he took his last breath.”