The cases tied to the fatal sweet 16 party shooting in Dadeville, Alabama, culminated Friday with prison sentences of five years for five defendants who took plea agreements, according to the Associated Press. The pleas resolved charges tied to a night in 2023 when gunfire broke out at the party, killing four people and injuring more than 30.
Prosecutors and court records described a chaotic scenario in which defendants exchanged gunfire with Corbin Holston, but the evidence did not allow the state to determine who fired first, District Attorney Mike Segrest said in court, according to WSFA as reported by the AP. In that context, Segrest argued the plea deals provided the “best outcome,” the outlet reported.
Willie Brown, 22, pleaded guilty to reckless murder and, like the other four defendants in the plea group, received a sentence of five years in prison and 15 years on probation. Wilson Hill, 23; Travis McCollough, 19; Tyreese McCollough, 20; and Sherman Peters, 18, also entered guilty pleas to reckless murder and received the same prison and probation terms.
The judge sentenced the defendants after the pleas, while a sixth person in the case received youthful offender status, and court records for that defendant were not public, the AP reported. Only Tyreese McCollough addressed the court, saying he was “very sorry” for what happened, according to news outlets.
The sentencing drew sharp criticism from some family members of the victims. Amy Jackson, Smith’s cousin, said, “What justice would look like, it would be at least 30 years,” according to WSFA as cited by the AP, arguing that the plea agreements did not reflect the gravity of the crime and the young lives lost.
The AP said four young people were killed in the shooting that drew national attention: Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18; Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17; Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19; and Corbin Holston, 23. The five defendants pleaded guilty to the deaths of Dowdell, Smith and Collins, while the charge involving Holston was dropped, the AP reported.