The Clay County Sheriff's Office announced the capture of a suspect in a shooting that left one person dead and another injured. Friends of the victim say he died a hero.
Deputies said the shooting happened Sunday morning on a National Forest Service Road, near Cheaha State Park. Investigators believe the victim was shot and killed during an attempted armed robbery. One of the suspects was also shot and was flown to the hospital for treatment.
The second suspect fled on foot, leading to a manhunt. At 7 p.m. Sunday, the sheriff's office announced the second suspect had been taken into custody. The search led investigators to an off-grid camp with tents.
According to court records, Krystal Diane Pinkins, 36, of Memphis, Tenn., is charged with murder in the death of Adam Cassim Simjee. The sheriff's office said she is also charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery. She is being held in the Clay County Jail.
Officers found Pinkins in the camp with her child, who they said had a shotgun.
"As law enforcement were approaching the base camp, they observed a black female standing near the tents," the sheriff's office said in a press release. "As officers were ordering the female to the ground a 5-year-old child ran from the woods holding a loaded shotgun. Law enforcement told the child to put the shotgun down however the child continued to the female’s location before laying the gun on the ground."
Meanwhile, the hospitalized suspect is being guarded by deputies. She has been identified as Yasmine Hider. Hider, the suspected shooter, is charged with one count of murder, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery. She is currently in the hospital in Birmingham.
Simjee was 22 years old. His friends said he and his girlfriend stopped to help the suspects with their car as they were on the way to Cheaha State Park to visit waterfalls. That's when they said one of the suspects pulled a gun and demanded bank information from Simjee. The friend said Simjee pulled his own gun and the two exchanged gunfire.
The girlfriend, Mikayla Paulus, posted on Facebook that she loved sharing Simjee's story and letting people know about the hero that he was.
"I'm so happy [Adam] is getting recognized as the hero he was," Paulus said. "He was so selfless & would do anything for someone he loved. He always made sure I knew that I was safe with him and that he would protect me if anything ever happened. He was a proud 2nd [Amendment] supporter and if he wasn't carrying, I [don't] know if I'd be here right now."
Friends of Simjee have set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral costs.
The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information to call them at 256 354-2176.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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