A third suspect in the Dadeville Sweet 16 shooting last year has pleaded not guilty and waived his arraignment.
Johnny Brown, 21, of Tuskegee, entered the not guilty plea Tuesday in the Tallapoosa County Court.
Two other suspects, Willie Brown, 20, of Auburn and Wilson Hill, 21, of Notasulga, pleaded not guilty in December.
In all, six suspects are charged with four counts of reckless murder, 24 counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault, in the April 15 shooting that killed four and injured 25.
Sherman Peters III, 16, of Tuskegee; Travis McCullough, 17, of Notasulga; and Ty Reik McCullough, 18, of Notasulga, are the others charged.
The four killed were 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.
The party was for Dowdell's sister, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) confirmed Dowdell's mother, Latonya Allen, 37, was among those shot. Other shooting victims' ages ranged from 14 to 19.
Detectives with ALEA believe during the party, a group of kids believed to have guns were asked to leave but refused. Although the exact sequence of events is unclear, a disagreement ensued and ended in a shooting.
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.
