Teen brothers among three arrested in Dadeville, Alabama, Sweet 16 mass shooting

( NYPost )

Two teenage brothers and a 20-year-old man have been arrested in connection to Saturday’s mass shooting at a Sweet 16 celebration in Dadeville, Alabama that left four people dead and 32 injured.

Brothers Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee, were both arrested Tuesday night, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday morning.

Later Wednesday afternoon, ALEA confirmed that a third suspect has been arrested — 20-year-old Wilson LaMar Hill Jr. of Auburn.

All three have been charged with four counts of reckless murder, Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Wednesday during the first police news conference about the shooting since Sunday.

The teen brothers will be charged as adults, District Attorney Mike Segrest said.

“Make no mistake, this is Alabama. If you pull out a gun and you start shooting people — we’re going to put you in jail,” Burkett said.

The state is asking that the teens be held with no bond. A bond hearing must be held for the teens by Friday, according to Alabama law.

Four victims remain hospitalized in critical condition while more charges against the teens are forthcoming, according to Segrest.

Those killed included the birthday girl Alexis Dowdell’s older brother, Phil Dowdell, who was set to graduate high school and play wide receiver at Jacksonville State University this fall.

Phil Dowdell was shot and killed during a Sweet 16 party for his sister in Dadeville, Alabama.

Alexis Dowdell held a party for her birthday at which a shooting occurred, killing four people.

The other victims were identified as Marsiah Emmanual “Siah Collins, 19, who was an aspiring musician; Corbin Dahmontery Holston, 23, a former student-athlete who graduated from Dadeville High in 2018; and Shaunivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, who was a senior at Dadeville High School and manager of the school’s basketball and track teams.

“We’re going to make sure all those victims have justice, not just the deceased,” Segrest said.

Grand jurors in Tallapoosa County typically meet in March and September, but Segrest said he would recall grand jurors to seek an indictment before September.

“If we can establish the facts, we will be asking our grand jury to come back in,” Segrest said.

Police have not been able to share a motive for the deadly shooting, which broke out around 10:30 p.m. at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in downtown Dadeville, about 60 miles outside the state capital, Montgomery.

Corbin Holston, 23, was one of the four victims who were killed in Dadeville, Alabama.

19-year-old Marsiah Collins was shot and killed during the Sweet 16 party.

“There’s an uncut cake and unburnt 16 candles that never got lit,” Segrest said, according to NBC. “Lexi’s brother was one of the victims. On her 16th birthday party, she knelt by her brother as he took his last breath. That’s what we’re dealing with.”

Burkett could not share whether the two teenage suspects in the shooting had been jailed, or whether they were already in custody when they were charged in the case.

Authorities have not yet announced a court date for the three suspects.

Ty Reik McCullough

Wilson LaMar Hill Jr.

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

Police only found shell casings from handguns at the scene, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Officials have not shared details about what kind of weapon, or weapons, were used in the shooting, but continue to urge the public for information, including videos.

“If you were at the venue that night — so you were physically at the venue — if you have not come forward, meaning you have not contacted law enforcement, please hear me, I absolutely want you to do that,” Burkett said. “We need you to come forward for the families, for these victims.”