Two teens arrested in Alabama Sweet 16 mass shooting

Andrea Blanco
·2-min read
Alabama Shooting (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Alabama Shooting (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the Alabama shooting on Saturday night.

Three days after gunfire at a Sweet 16 birthday party killed four young people and injured 32 more, some critically, authorities in Dadeville announced the arrest of Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16.

The teens were taken into custody on Tuesday night. They have been charged with four counts of reckless murder each.

“Please understand, with the violence that went on and the magnitude of what happened, we are absolutely still in the early stages of the investigation,” Sgt Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said during a press conference on Wednesday. “This is the beginning, this is not the end. There is a tremendous amount of work that is yet to be done.”

Tallapoosa District Attorney Mark Sergist said more charges are expected to come. The suspects will have a bond hearing within the next 72 hours, and the state will suggest no bond.

The shootings Saturday night rocked the small town of Dadeville, about 80 miles southeast of Birmingham, and families suddenly found themselves planning memorials and burial services instead of graduation parties or college move-ins.

The fatal victims were identified on Monday as Keke Nicole Smith, 17, Phil Dowdell, 18, Marsiah Collins, 19 and Corbin Holston, 23.

Four victims remain hospitalised in critical condition as of Wednesday night, Mr Sergist said.

“We are going to make sure every victim gets justice, not just the deceased,” he said during the press conference.

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