Authorities in Alabama say a 27-year-old man, identified as Steven Tyler Whitehead, has been arrested and charged with murder following a shooting at a bonfire party that left multiple people injured and one young woman fighting for her life.
The incident happened just after midnight on Sunday, October 19, 2025, in a wooded area known locally as “The Pit,” near State Highway 75 North in Pinson, a rural community outside Birmingham, Alabama.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived at the scene to find chaos — several people shot and others rushing to help.
Among the victims was 18-year-old Kimber Mills, a high school cheerleader from Cleveland High School, who had been critically injured.
According to police reports, the bonfire gathering, meant to be a fun night among local teens and young adults, took a tragic turn after a fight reportedly broke out over a girl.
However, what began as an argument quickly escalated, ending with gunfire that struck four people.
Police confirmed that three victims — two males aged 18 and 21, and one 18-year-old female — were found wounded when deputies arrived.
A fourth victim, a 20-year-old woman, was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle before first responders got to the scene.
Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush said that one of Mills’ friends tried to drive her to the hospital themselves but stopped when they spotted a police officer on Gadsden Highway around 12:45 a.m. Officers immediately called for help, performed CPR, and applied a tourniquet to her leg wound before she was taken to UAB Hospital.
Mills’ family has been holding on to hope, but the prognosis is heartbreaking. According to her sister, the doctors told them that Kimber had suffered severe brain trauma.
“She has too much trauma to her brain,” her sister told AL.com. “If she survives, she would be on breathing and feeding tubes the rest of her life. There is no surgery that would give her a life worth living.”
At Cleveland High School, students and teachers have held multiple prayer vigils for Kimber. Her classmates describe her as kind, cheerful, and always ready to help others.
“You can just start up a conversation with her, no matter what,” said Cohen Dawson, one of her classmates. “It was always just a delight to talk to her.”
Another friend, Kyle Torbert, shared, “If you run out of money and you don’t have enough, she’ll definitely give you money. If you don’t have something, she’ll give you something. If you’re sad, she’ll give you a hug.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started by her senior class to help the Mills family with medical and potential funeral expenses.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Panther Football, her school’s team, posted a message on Facebook asking for prayers:
> “We’re asking our community to come together in prayer for Kimber and her family.”
Another post read:
> “Heavenly Father, we lift up Kimber to you today. Lord, she’s fighting a battle no one should ever have to face.”
Authorities confirmed that Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, of Brookwood, Alabama, was arrested later that same morning at 11:40 a.m. Sunday and charged with murder, as per Law&Crime
He remains in Jefferson County Jailwithout bond as the investigation continues.
The sheriff’s office has not released additional details about the motive or whether more charges will be filed. However, they did confirm that additional charges are pending, as more victims remain hospitalized.
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