Man shot 10 times while protecting Alabama cheerleader, who later died

An Alabama man said 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 morning in Pinson, Alabama, in a large wooded area known as The Pit. AL.com. The suspect, 27-year-old Steven Tyler Whitehead, showed up around 12:24 a.m. and discharged his gun several times after a verbal and physical altercation, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. WVTM It was informed that the firing took place at Bonfire.

Prosecutors charged Whitehead with three counts of murder, and he is being held on $180,000 bond.

Ashley Mills, the victim’s sister, shared on Facebook that Kimber died Wednesday night. Kimber was a A senior at Cleveland High Schoolwhere she ran track and was also a cheerleader.

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Kimber Mills, 18, plans to attend the University of Alabama in 2026. (Riley Sirbo)

“Our sweet baby sister went to be with the Lord last night at 7:08! She has had the greatest gathering ever. walk of honor Doc has ever seen! She was and is loved by many. We will miss you Kimber! Everyone is free to share this post wherever they see fit!” Ashley Mills wrote on Facebook.

“Kimber got caught in the crossfire,” she told AL.com.

Silas McKay, 21, said WBRC While trying to protect his friends, including Kimber Mills, he was shot 10 times – in the leg, hip, ribs, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh. McKay is expected to recover and could leave the hospital as soon as Friday.

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Silas McKay said he was shot 10 times in the leg, hip, ribs, abdomen, finger, pelvis and thigh while trying to protect his friends. (GoFundMe)

“I look at her like my little sister. I tried everything I could. I wish I could have done more,” McKay said.

McKay said the suspect was trying to talk to Kimber before the altercation.

“My ex-girlfriend came up to me at the party and said he was trying to do something with a girl named Kimber,” McKay said. “My friend and I found him, and we started fighting with him. I grabbed him and put him over my shoulder and put him on the ground. My friend pulled me off him, and that’s when he pulled out his gun and Started shooting.”

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Tyler Whitehead was arrested in connection with the shooting. (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)

Despite being hospitalized, McKay said he visited Kimber on Sunday.

“She was telling me she squeezed my hand and loved me,” McKay said.

Kimber Mills plans 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. (Riley Sirbo)

Ashley Mills previously said her sister’s injuries were so serious, a walk of honor was held Tuesday afternoon.

“She’s got a lot of brain damage,” Ashley Mills said. “She’s breathing on her own with an assisted breathing machine… We have her on DNR because we don’t want to disturb her trying to bring her back. We’ve already set that up for her. organ donor Because that’s what she wanted.”

“She had a little wobble in 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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Riley Sirbo, who knew Kimber Mills, told Fox News Digital: “I want her to be known for her sunny personality and big smile rather than her tragedy.”

“I’m thankful for all the happiness she’s brought to my other friends,” she said. “She seemed like a very bright light in many lives.”