A fourth man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a weekend shooting at a Sweet 16 party that killed four young people in Alabama. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced the arrest Thursday of 20-year-old Johnny Letron Brown of Tuskegee. Brown is charged with four counts of reckless murder, the same as three other defendants arrested earlier in the case. Four young people were killed and 32 others were hurt in Saturday's shooting at the birthday celebration in Dadeville, a small city in east Alabama. It was the 16th mass killing in the U.S. this year.
Tyreese "Ty Reik" McCullough, 17, of Tuskegee and Travis McCullough, 16, of Tuskegee were arrested Tuesday. Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, was arrested Wednesday. The district attorney said the teens will be tried as adults as required by Alabama law when anyone 16 or older is charged with murder.
The birthday girl's brother, 18-year-old Philstavious "Phil" Dowdell of Camp Hill, died as his sister knelt beside him begging him to keep breathing. He and another fatal victim, 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole "KeKe" Smith of Dadeville, were high school seniors. Also slain were Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, of Opelika, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville.
The shooting was the 16th mass killing in the U.S. this year. A 17th took place in Maine on Tuesday. A total of 88 people have died in the killings so far in 2023.
A mass killing is defined as the slaying of four or more people other than the perpetrator, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
