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COVERING LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA
IN THIS ISSUE BUSINESS NEWS A3 | SOCIETY A7 | OBITUARIES A15 | COMICS A16 SPORTS B1 | POLITICS B9 | PUBLIC NOTICES B12 | PUZZLES B15 Your local publication created 'for local people, by local people.'
Vol. 15, No. 29
Opelika, Alabama
Community Prays for Injured Students PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES / THE OBSERVER
BY MICHELLE KEY MICHELLE@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — A prayer circle formed in front of the fountain in Opelika's Courthouse Square late Monday afternoon as community members gathered to offer up prayers for the healing of the vicitms of
the Dadeville mass shooting event on April 15. Two Opelika High School students are still hospitalized with injuries sustained during the shooting. Crystal Presley, the aunt of Keaijah "Ciyah" Robinson — one of the OHS students — was present Monday night and thanked See PRAYER, page A2
Members of the community (pictured above) gathered near the fountain at Courthouse Square Monday afternoon to pray for the students that are recovering from injuries sustained during the April 15 shooting in Dadeville. Two Opelika High School students remain in the hospital. People also prayed for the families that lost loved ones and for everyone impacted by the event. Pictured top left, Crystal Presley, Robinson's aunt receives hug from a friend.
First Hearing for Shooting Suspects Held in Dadeville
? Pictured from left to right are Tyreese McCullough, Wilson Hill Jr., Travis McCullough, Willie Brown Jr. and Johnny Brown. The sixth suspect is an unnamed juvenile.
BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM DADEVILLE — Tuesday morning, April 26, five of six defendants in the April 15 Dadeville shooting had bail hearings. At this time, three of the defendants are being tried as adults, the other three as juveniles.
The hearing began at the Dadeville courthouse and three of the defendants were seated: Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn; Johnny Letron Brown, age 20, of Tuskegee; and Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., age 20, of Auburn. The other two defendants, Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, age 17, and Travis McCullough, age 16, both of Tuskegee,
participated in their hearing following the first three. Since they are being tried as juveniles, an audience was not allowed to be present. The sixth, a 15-year-old from Macon County, was not present. Jesse Thornton, State Bureau of Investigation special agent for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and case lead for the
investigation, was the first to take the stand. According to his account, on the night of April 15, a 16th birthday party was held at Mahogany Dance Studio in the 200 block of Broadnax Street. The room where the party was held was not very big, only 38 by 26 feet — one See HEARING, page A3
Gun Crimes Task Force Created in Lee County CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — The Auburn Police Department (APD), Opelika Police Department (OPD), Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the Lee County District Attorney's Office (LCDAO) have partnered to create the Metro Gun Crimes Task Force (MGCTF). The task force will combine resources from each agency, allowing teams to focus on reducing gun crimes across the Lee County area. In November 2022, the Auburn Police Department was awarded a federal "Project Safe Neighborhood" grant totaling more than $254,000. The grant is designed to help law enforcement reduce gun crimes in the community through innovative law enforcement technology and procedures. As such, APD used the grant to obtain advanced forensic equipment and enroll in the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) See CRIME, page A2
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