Steven Tyler Whitehead is an alleged killer from Alabama who has been charged with the murder of teen Kimber Mills
According to police reports Steven Tyler Whitehead was at a bonfire attended by a bunch of people including Kimber Mills. Whitehead become upset and would open fire striking four people including Kimber who was shot in the head
Kimber Mills would remain in the hospital for days until her family made the difficult decision to remove the eighteen year old from the machines that were keeping her alive
The three other people shot at the bonfire are expected to survive their injuries
Steven Tyler Whitehead has been charged with murder among other charges
Steven Tyler Whitehead News
An Alabama family says their teen daughter will be declared deceased on Tuesday afternoon after she was left brain-dead during a shooting at a bonfire in the early morning hours of Sunday.
Kimber Mills, 18, was given just a few days to live after she was shot at a bonfire over the weekend, AL.com reported.
Police responding to a shooting at a Pinson, Ala., residence early morning on Sunday, Oct. 19, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Authorities took 27-year-old Steven Tyler Whitehead into custody on a charge of murder, per the sheriff’s office’s statement, though Mills was still alive at the time of the arrest.
Mills’ sister, Ashley Mills, says the victim was at a bonfire event when there was an altercation and the teen was caught in the “crossfire,” AL.com reported.
Four people were injured in the shooting, the sheriff’s office said. Mills was taken to the hospital alongside an 18-year-old man and a 21-year-old man. Another woman, 20, was also injured and taken to a hospital in a personal vehicle. All are currently alive.
Mills’ family says doctors had given the cheerleader just days to live as they began preparing for a difficult journey ahead, per AL.com, WVTM 13 and WBRC reported.
Ashley previously told the outlets that doctors have said no intervention can save her life.
“We’ve opted to just let her body do what it needs to do,” Ashley told AL.com, adding that the family has “a DNR because we don’t want to hurt her anymore trying to bring her back.”
She told the outlet that after the doctors declare Kimber brain dead, they will start the process of organ donation and have an “Honor Walk” for her.
On Tuesday morning, Mills’ cousin Morgan Kaye Metz shared on Facebook that the “Honor Walk” is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday and a surgery — potentially organ donation surgery — is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“She is giving the greatest gift of all today. Life,” Metz shared in the post. “She was a blessing and now she gets to bless others.”
Kimber, a senior cheerleader and track runner, wanted to become a nurse, Ashley told AL.com.
“She had a little spunk to her step,” she said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Kimber’s family during this time.
As of Tuesday, Oct. 21, noon, no deaths had been reported from the shooting. When contacted by PEOPLE, the sheriff’s office said they will share an update later on Tuesday, but declined to comment further on the murder charge.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Whitehead has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Ala. Cheerleader’s Family Prepares for Her Death Tuesday, After Bonfire Shooting
Steven Tyler Whitehead More News
A late-night bonfire party in a wooded area of north Jefferson County turned deadly early Sunday when gunfire erupted, leaving one person dead and three others wounded, authorities said.
Deputies responded around 12:24 a.m. to the 7900 block of Highway 75 North in the Palmerdale area, sometimes called “The Pit,” after reports of multiple people shot, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the shooting followed a verbal and physical altercation among the crowd at the bonfire gathering, which drew between 10 and 20 people. The scene was deep in a wooded area off Highway 75, making it difficult for first responders to reach the victims, authorities said.
Deputies found three victims — a 21-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman — suffering from gunshot wounds. A fourth victim, a 20-year-old woman, was taken to a hospital by private car.
The suspect, 27-year-old Steven Tyler Whitehead of Brookwood, was arrested and charged with murder. He is being held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail. Additional charges are pending as the investigation continues.
Local residents told ABC 33/40 the area has long been a hangout for young adults, but said they were shocked by the violent turn. Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight said in a statement that the shooting was senseless and urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
Party in the Woods Turns Tragic as Gunfire Kills One, Wounds Three – Birmingham Free Press
