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Willie George Brown Jr: Fifth arrest made in connection with birthday party shooting in Dadeville

All of the suspects are being held without bail at the Tallapoosa County Jail, except for the 15-year-old who is being held in a juvenile facility

DADEVILLE, ALABAMA: A fifth individual named Willie George Brown Jr was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday celebration that left four teenagers dead in Alabama on Thursday, April 20. Another 15-year-old had been arrested in connection with the shooting but wasn't named due to his young age.

A shooting took place at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in Dadeville, Alabama, a tiny town of roughly 3,200 people, on Saturday, April 15 at around 10.34 pm. The dance studio, which is near the town's center, was hosting a Sweet 16 party for teen Alexis Dowdell at the time. While the party was still going on, four young people, ages 17 to 23, who were there, died as a consequence of shootings. In addition to the four fatalities, 32 other people were injured, four of them in critical condition. 

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Who is the fifth suspect?

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency claimed that the fifth suspect, Brown Jr, 19, of Auburn, will be charged with four counts of reckless murder, according to NPR. A total of six arrests have now been made in connection with the Dadeville mass shooting. The brothers, Travis McCullough, 16, and Tyreese 'Ty Reik' McCullough, 17, were arrested on Tuesday, April 18.

Wilson LaMar Hill Jr, 20, of Auburn, was arrested on Wednesday, April 19, and Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee, was arrested on Thursday, April 20. The 15-year-old, of Macon County, had also been arrested on Thursday, April 20. All five other suspects are subject to the same charges that are leveled against Brown Jr.

The district attorney announced that the suspects would be tried as adults, as is required by Alabama law when anyone aged 16 or older is accused of murder. All of the suspects except for the 15-year-old are being held without bail at the Tallapoosa County Jail. The 15-year-old is being held without bail at a juvenile facility.

'So glad they have caught these guys'

Many people have reacted to the arrest of all six suspects on Twitter with one person writing, "Wow so glad they have caught these guys." Another person wrote, "Six shooters at a kids birthday party! How many don't have a dad or a safe loving home?"

A third individual wrote, "This is starting to sound like it was a gang shootout in the middle of the crowd." This other person wrote, "Great job, hopefully swift justice will be served for these kids and their parents." 

"Have they said anything related to a reasoning? I know there is never an answer as to why... was it gang related? Boy girl relationship related? I just haven't heard. It's devastating and horrible and heartbreaking!! There are no words as to why! My heart hurts for all of them," one person wrote.

'We can't get into a motive right now'

The motive for the young victims' massacre at the Sweet 16 party is yet unknown. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt Jeremy Burkett said, "We can't get into a motive right now. That would be part of an ongoing investigation. We can't share that," according to CNN. Additionally, the suspects' relationship, if any, to Dowdell's Sweet 16 party was not disclosed by the authorities.

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