Alabama shooting update: Teen brothers among three arrested in Dadeville party attack as motive speculated

Dadeville Police announced the arrests of 17-year-old Ty Reik McCullough and 16-year-old Travis McCullough and Wilson LaMar Hill Jr, 20, at a press conference on Wednesday morning after remaining tight-lipped about the progress of the investigation for four days after the horror attack at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio on Saturday night.

According to local outlet AL.com, the teens suspects are brothers.

The teens were taken into custody on Tuesday night and have been charged with four counts of reckless murder each. Mr McCullough was arrested on Wednesday.

Sgt Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said during a press conference on Wednesday that a motive for the shooting has been determined, but details will not be shared with the public at this time.

Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and his 16-year-old brother Travis McCullough were arrested by the Alabama police in connection with the Dadeville shooting where four people lost their lives.

However, a 36-year-old man, who is also named Travis McCullough, has been receiving threatening and hateful messages on social media.

“I’ve been scared to go outside just because of the messages and comments I’ve been seeing,” Mr McCullough told Montgomery Advertiser.

Mr McCullough works as a delivery driver and lives 40 miles northeast in the valley. He initially began deleting the hate comments and DMs but later realised he might need proof of the threats if something bad were to happen.

“I’ve been cautious about that all day,” he said. “Just know, I’m not the one that did it.”

Sgt Jeremy J Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency indicated that investigators have determined a motive for the shooting, but refused to release it at the time of the press conference.

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

“We can’t share that.”

He also denied to discuss how investigators believe the shooting unfolded.

A survivor of the Dadeville, Alabama, mass shooting attended a vigil in her hospital gown just a day after the tragedy.

Taniya Cox, an 18-year-old who was shot twice in her right arm as she fled the party, joined hundreds of residents, community leaders and local politicians at a vigil on Sunday night.

In an interview with CBS News, Ms Cox also recounted the moments leading up to the violence and recalled seeing more than one gunman.

“The mother said whoever had guns had to get out and they didn’t get out and five minutes later the shooting started,” she said.

“I ran in front of a bullet and got shot. I didn’t know what was going on I just saw blood coming out of my arm.”

The three suspects were not invited to the party and her daughter “didn’t know them”, said the mother of the teenager whose ‘Sweet 16’ birthday party was interrupted by the shooting.

They might have come with someone else as word of the party spread on social media, added LaTonya Allen, who is also the mother of one of the shooting victims.

“I just feel broken to know he is not with me,” Ms Allen said. “But I do feel a little peace knowing they arrested somebody.”

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, District Attorney Mark Sergist said.

“It don’t make the hurt any easier. But we are relieved that they (the suspects) are not out in the community,” Smith’s cousin Amy Jackson told the AP.

The gunfire broke out at a birthday party for Dowdell’s sister Alexis Dowdell, which was being held at a dance studio just off the town’s courthouse square. Witnesses had said multiple people began shooting some time after Dowdell’s mother paused the celebration to ask people with guns to leave.

A high school star, who was among the victims of a mass shooting in Alabama, died while saving his sister’s life.

The shooting took place on Saturday night during the ‘Sweet 16’ birthday party of Phil Dowdell’s sister, Alexis, at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio.

Dowdell pushed his sister to the ground as soon as gunfire erupted at around 10.34pm inside the dance studio. “I guess he tried to push me out the door as fast as he could,” Alexis told the Associated Press.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

Two teenagers and a 20-year-old man have been arrested and charged with reckless murder in connection with a shooting that killed four young people at a ‘Sweet 16’ party in Dadeville, Alabama.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced that Tuskegee residents Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16 — and Wilson LaMar Hill Jr, 20, of Auburn — have been charged with four counts of reckless murder.

Tallapoosa County district attorney Mike Segrest said the two teens would be tried as adults, an automatic requirement for anyone 16 or older charged with murder in Alabama.

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. “Even though these are 16 and 17-year-olds, we are going to charge them as adults.”

The suspects have been named as 17-year-old Ty Reik McCullough and 16-year-old Travis McCullough.

They were taken into custody on Tuesday night.

Both teens have been charged as adults with four counts of reckless murder.

More charges are expected to follow.

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more: