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A man in Alabama says he was shot 10 times while trying to protect his friends from a gunman who fatally shot Kimber Mills, a high school cheerleader.
Mills, 18, was shot early Sunday in Pinson, Alabama, in a heavily wooded area referred to as The Pit, according to AL.com. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said that the suspect, 27-year-old Steven Tyler Whitehead, showed up at around 12:24 a.m. and fired his gun several times after a verbal and physical fight. WVTM reported the shooting took place at a bonfire.
Prosecutors charged Whitehead with three counts of attempted murder and he is being held on a $180,000 bond.
Ashley Mills, the victim’s sister, shared on Facebook that Kimber died on Wednesday night. Kimber was a senior at Cleveland High School, where she ran track and was also a cheerleader.
CHEERLEADER DIES AFTER BEING SHOT AT HIGH SCHOOL BONFIRE, REMEMBERED FOR HAVING ‘SPUNK TO HER STEP’
Kimber Mills, 18, was planning to attend the University of Alabama in 2026. (Rylie Cirbo)
“Our sweet baby sister went to be with the Lord at 7:08 p.m. last night! She has had the biggest gathering for honor walk the doc has ever seen! She was and is so loved by so many. We will miss you Kimber! Everyone is free to share this post anywhere they feel necessary!” Ashley Mills wrote on Facebook.
“Kimber was caught in the crossfire,” she told AL.com.
Silas McCay, 21, told WBRC he was shot 10 times — in the leg, hip, ribcage, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh while trying to protect his friends, including Kimber Mills. McCay is expected to recover and could leave the hospital as soon as Friday.
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Silas McCay said he was shot 10 times in the leg, hip, ribcage, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh while trying to protect his friends. (GoFundMe)
“I look at her like a little sister to me. I tried everything I could. I wish there was more I could’ve done,” McCay said.
McCay said the suspect was trying to talk to Kimber before a fight ensued.
“My ex-girlfriend came up to me at the party and said he was trying to do stuff to this girl named Kimber,” McCay said. “My buddy and I found him, and we started fighting him. I grabbed him and put him over my shoulder and had him on the ground. My buddy pulled me off him, and that’s when he pulled his gun out and started shooting.”
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Tyler Whitehead was arrested in relation to the shooting. (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
Despite being hospitalized, McCay said he visited Kimber on Sunday.
“She was telling me she loved me by squeezing my hand,” McCay said.
Kimber Mills was planning to attend the University of Alabama in 2026 with hopes of becoming a nurse.
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Kimber Mills, 18, was a cheerleader at Cleveland High School. (Rylie Cirbo)
Ashley Mills previously said her sister’s injuries were too severe, adding an honor walk was held on Tuesday afternoon.
“She has too much trauma to her brain,” Ashley Mills said. “She is breathing on her own with an assisted breathing machine… We do have her on a DNR because we don’t want to hurt her anymore trying to bring her back. We’ve already got it set up for her to be an organ donor because that’s what she wanted.”
“She had a little spunk to her step,” she said.
Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush said Kimber Mills was shot in the head and leg and was taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
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Rylie Cirbo, who knew Kimber Mills, told Fox News Digital: “I’d much rather her be known for her sunshine personality and big smile rather than the tragedy.”
“I’m thankful for all the joy she’s brought my other friends,” she said. “She seemed like a very bright light in so many lives.”