5 defendants each sentenced to 5 years in plea deal for fatal Alabama birthday party shooting

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Five men involved in a fatal shooting at a sweet 16 party in Alabama were sentenced Friday to five years in prison after taking plea deals that were sharply criticized by some of the victims’ families.

Four people were killed and more than 30 were wounded when gunfire erupted at the 2023 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama. The violence rocked the small city of 3,200 residents located about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) northeast of Montgomery.

Willie Brown, 22; Wilson Hill, 23; Travis McCollough, 19; Tyreese McCollough, 20; and Sherman Peters, 18, pleaded guilty to reckless murder. They were sentenced to five years in prison and 15 years on probation. A sixth defendant was given youthful offender status and his court records are not public.

Only one defendant, Tyreese McCollough, addressed the court, saying he was “very sorry” for what happened, according to news outlets.

Some family members criticized the plea deal, saying the sentences were not adequate punishment for the gravity of the crime and the young lives that were lost.

Four young people, including two high school seniors, 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.

“What justice would look like, it would be at least 30 years,” Amy Jackson, Smith’s cousin, told WSFA.

District Attorney Mike Segrest told the court that the plea deals provided the best outcome, WSFA reported. He said the evidence showed that the defendants exchanged gunfire with Holston but they could not determine who shot first.

The five defendants pleaded guilty to the deaths of Dowdell, Smith and Collins. The charge involving Holston was dropped.