UPDATE: Daphne Police identified the suspect and victims in a quadruple homicide that happened Wednesday night on Melanie Loop.
The suspect, Jared Tarant Smith-Bracy, 21, admitted he killed the four victims and has been charged with four counts of capital murder.
Jeremy Smith, 27, Barbara Smith, 72 and Leonard Smith, 80, were the victims. They were the suspect's brother and grandparents. A fourth victim, Sheila Glover, 70, was a family friend. Police said three victims found in the backyard were shot and bludgeoned with a pickax and it appears the grandfather was also bludgeoned inside the home.
Investigators said Smith-Bracy was arrested from the home earlier in the day for criminal mischief. After he bonded out, he was driven back to the house by another person. A witness said he got out of the car after taking a gun from the driver and immediately forced his way into the home. The witness then heard gunshots and called police. It is believed the three in the backyard were shot first, then Smith-Bracy went back into the home and bludgeoned his grandfather, then returned to the backyard and bludgeoned the three victims he had already shot.
Smith-Bracy is being held in the Baldwin County Jail with no bond.
The Daphne Police Department is investigating a quadruple homicide that happened on Melanie Loop around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday night.
Police Chief Brian Gulsby said officers first responded to a complaint about shots fired after receiving a call to dispatch from someone who heard the shots. Once on the scene, they found one person dead inside the house and three dead in the backyard.
Police believe the shooter forced the front door open but have not revealed a motive. The suspected shooter was taken into custody after officers encountered him in the driveway.
“They gave him some commands, which he ignored,” said Gulsby. “And he fled from the officers on foot.”
Gulsby said the suspect was later found hiding in the woods and was taken into custody. The suspect and the victims are family members, Gulsby added.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
