Man accused of murdering Alabama teen cheerleader, spraying bullets at friends, released on bond

The antheral accused of gunning down an Alabama precocious schoolhouse cheerleader astatine a bonfire enactment and shooting 3 others portion 1 unfortunate tried to shield her has been released from jailhouse connected bond.

Steven Tyler Whitehead, charged with execution successful the decease of 18-year-old Kimber Mills and attempted execution for wounding 3 others, bonded retired of the Jefferson County Jail Thursday aft a justice acceptable enslaved astatine $330,000. As a information of his release, Whitehead indispensable deterioration an physics monitoring device, WBRC reported.

Mills, a elder astatine Cleveland High School, was changeable successful October 2025 during a late-night bonfire successful a heavy wooded country known locally arsenic "The Pit," adjacent Highway 75 North and Clay-Palmerdale Road successful Pinson, Alabama. 

Authorities said the gathering turned convulsive aft Whitehead arrived soon aft midnight and became progressive successful a verbal and carnal confrontation earlier pulling retired a weapon and opening fire.

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18-year-old Kimber Mills was readying to be the University of Alabama successful 2026. (Rylie Cirbo)

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office antecedently said Whitehead fired aggregate rounds during the chaos, striking Mills and 3 others.

One of the victims, 21-year-old Silas McCay, aboriginal told WBRC helium was changeable 10 times — successful the leg, hip, rib cage, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh — portion trying to support his friends, including Mills.

"I look astatine her similar a small sister to me," McCay said from his infirmary bed. "I tried everything I could. I privation determination was much I could’ve done."

McCay said the unit erupted aft helium and different antheral confronted Whitehead, who helium claimed was attempting to speech to Mills earlier a combat broke out.

"My ex-girlfriend came up to maine astatine the enactment and said helium was trying to bash worldly to this miss named Kimber," McCay said. "My buddy and I recovered him, and we started warring him. I grabbed him and enactment him implicit my enarthrosis and had him connected the ground. My buddy pulled maine disconnected him, and that’s erstwhile helium pulled his weapon retired and started shooting."

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Silas McCay said helium was changeable 10 times successful the leg, hip, ribcage, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh portion trying to support his friends (GoFundMe)

According to WBRC, McCay and different man, Hunter McCullouch, 19, were aboriginal charged with third-degree battle successful transportation with the altercation that broke retired earlier the shooting. Authorities person not alleged that either antheral fired a weapon. McCay was among those changeable during the gunfire.

Mills was rushed to UAB Hospital successful Birmingham aft being changeable successful the caput and leg, according to Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush. Despite doctors’ efforts, her injuries proved excessively severe.

Her sister, Ashley Mills, announced Kimber’s decease successful a Facebook station pursuing an affectional grant locomotion astatine the infirmary that drew hundreds.

"Our saccharine babe sister went to beryllium with the Lord astatine 7:08 p.m. past night," Ashley Mills wrote astatine the time. "She had the biggest gathering for an grant locomotion the doc had ever seen. She was and is truthful loved by truthful many. We volition miss you, Kimber."

Ashley Mills antecedently said the household made the hard determination to spot Kimber connected a do-not-resuscitate bid owed to the grade of her encephalon injuries and grant her privation to beryllium an organ donor.

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Kimber Mills, an 18-year-old precocious schoolhouse cheerleader from Alabama, was fatally changeable during a bonfire enactment successful Pinson successful October 2025. (GoFundMe)

"She has excessively overmuch trauma to her brain," Ashley Mills said. "We don’t privation to wounded her anymore trying to bring her back."

Friends and loved ones remembered Mills arsenic a agleam beingness with a contagious smile. She was a cheerleader and way jock astatine Cleveland High School and had planned to be the University of Alabama successful 2026, wherever she hoped to go a nurse.

"She had a small spunk to her step," her sister said.

Despite being gravely wounded himself, McCay said helium visited Mills successful the infirmary earlier her death.

"She was telling maine she loved maine by squeezing my hand," helium said.

Following quality of Whitehead’s merchandise connected bond, Ashley Mills shared her absorption connected Facebook, expressing fearfulness and frustration.

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"Justice for Kimber! That’s each we want," she wrote. "That’s conscionable much anxiousness for maine knowing he’s out. I’ll enactment home."

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office declined to elaborate connected the enslaved decision, telling Fox News Digital it had nary further accusation to share.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].