Steven Whitehead, 27, faces murder and attempted murder charges following a deadly shooting near Pinson that claimed the life of 18-year-old Kimber Mills, a Cleveland High School cheerleader. The incident occurred just after midnight on Sunday (October 19) during a bonfire party in a wooded area known as "The Pit." According to WBRC, Whitehead was reportedly involved in an argument before shots were fired.
Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene near Highway 79 to find three people with gunshot wounds, while a fourth victim had already been transported to the hospital. Mills was taken off life support on Tuesday (October 21) at UAB Hospital, where her organs were donated to save others. Her sister shared with WBRC that Mills' heart was given to a seven-year-old girl.
Whitehead, who received a general discharge from the Alabama National Guard unrelated to the shooting, remains in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. He is expected to appear before Judge Kandice Pickett later this week. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WBRC, stated that the area is a popular hangout spot, but violence of this nature is unprecedented.