The five suspects charged as adults in a 2023 deadly Sweet 16 shooting in Dadeville will spend over two years behind bars after signing a plea deal with prosecutors.
Willie Brown, Jr., Tyreese McCullough, Travis McCullough, Sherman Peters III and Wilson Hill were sentenced to 20 years with five years to serve and credited for the three years they have already been in jail. Upon release, they will be under supervised probation for 15 years.
The suspects were originally charged with four counts of reckless murder, 24 counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault. However, as part of the plea deal, one count of reckless murder was dismissed.
Shaunkivia Nicole Smith, 17, of Dadeville, Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 19, of Opelika, Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville, and Philstavious Dowdell, 18, of Camp Hill, were shot and killed on April 15, 2023.
Family members of the victims voiced disappointment with the plea deals. According to The Outlook, the mother of Collins spoke and made a victim impact statement.
“April 15, 2023 was a day that I would never have thought that I would see my baby the last time walk out of the door, all because of a senseless mass shooting,” Shirley Jones said. “This shooting killed four innocent souls, and it’s a day I remember vividly. My son was only 19 years old when he was taken, and 19 years was all I was given, and that’ll never be enough.”
Community members gathered for prayer after weeks of calls for trials for all defendants.
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Alabama District Attorney Mike Segrest said he spoke with the families before the court proceedings.
A sixth suspect, Johnny Brown, was granted youthful offender status, and his case has been sealed. The maximum sentence he can receive is three years in prison.
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