by DADEVILLE, Ala. – At least 89 rounds were fired during the deadly shooting that left four people dead at a girl’s Sweet 16 party in Alabama, a witness testified Tuesday.
Responding officers also found that one of the victims appeared to have a weapon strapped to his chest after autopsy, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Special Agent Jess Thornton said.
The latest revelations came during early court appearances. for five of the six suspects in the April 15 shooting in Dadeville.
Thornton’s testimony came as a judge is determining possible bail for the suspects. Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee, Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn and LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn.
Police recovered 89 bullet casings, fired from seven separate pistols of four different calibers.
“I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude,” Thornton said.
Ballistic tests matched some of the rounds spent in Dadeville with casings found in a shooting later that night in Auburn, but Thornton did not elaborate on that connection.
The party was packed with guests, 50 to 60 of them in a space no larger than 26 feet by 38 feet, with only one set of doors, according to Thornton.
Five of the six defendants, all but Brown, 19, told police they shot at the party, Thornton testified.
The four people killed were Shaunkivia Smith, 17; Mariah Collins, 19; Corbin Holston, 23; and Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18.
Dowdell is the brother of Alexis Dowdell, whose 16th birthday was being celebrated when gunfire erupted at a dance studio on North Broadnax Street.
When police arrived at Holston’s body, they found a gun on his chest, according to the witness.
“It was weird how the gun was placed there in Holston,” Thornton said. “It was almost as if it had been placed there.”
Two guns were recovered at the scene, one in Holton’s chest and the other, unfired, in Collins’ waistband, the law enforcement officer said.
Two other suspects, the Tuskegee brothers, Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, also appeared before the judge and their bond cases were discussed. during a closed-door hearing later Tuesday.
The judge did not immediately rule on the bail of the five defendants Tuesday, Fifth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Mike Segrest said.
And there is a sixth suspect, a 15-year-old who has not been publicly identified due to his age.
Prosecutors and police have yet to publicly state what they believe may have motivated the shooters.
Jamie Morrison reported from Dadeville and David K. Li from New York City.
