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The man accused of gunning down an Alabama high school cheerleader at a bonfire party and shooting three others while one victim tried to shield her has been released from jail on bond.
Steven Tyler Whitehead, charged with murder in the death of 18-year-old Kimber Mills and attempted murder for wounding three others, bonded out of the Jefferson County Jail Thursday after a judge set bond at $330,000. As a condition of his release, Whitehead must wear an electronic monitoring device, WBRC reported.
Mills, a senior at Cleveland High School, was shot in October 2025 during a late-night bonfire in a heavily wooded area known locally as “The Pit,” near Highway 75 North and Clay-Palmerdale Road in Pinson, Alabama.
Authorities said the gathering turned violent after Whitehead arrived shortly after midnight and became involved in a verbal and physical confrontation before pulling out a gun and opening fire.
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The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office previously said Whitehead fired multiple rounds during the chaos, striking Mills and three others.
One of the victims, 21-year-old Silas McCay, later told WBRC he was shot 10 times — in the leg, hip, rib cage, stomach, finger, pelvis and thigh — while trying to protect his friends, including Mills.
“I look at her like a little sister to me,” McCay said from his hospital bed. “I tried everything I could. I wish there was more I could’ve done.”
McCay said the violence erupted after he and another man confronted Whitehead, who he claimed was attempting to talk to Mills before a fight broke out.
“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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According to WBRC, McCay and another man, Hunter McCullouch, 19, were later charged with third-degree assault in connection with the altercation that broke out before the shooting. Authorities have not alleged that either man fired a weapon. McCay was among those shot during the gunfire.
Mills was rushed to UAB Hospital in Birmingham after being shot in the head and leg, according to Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush. Despite doctors’ efforts, her injuries proved too severe.
Her sister, Ashley Mills, announced Kimber’s death in a Facebook post following an emotional honor walk at the hospital that drew hundreds.
“Our sweet baby sister went to be with the Lord at 7:08 p.m. last night,” Ashley Mills wrote at the time. “She had the biggest gathering for an honor walk the doctor had ever seen. She was and is so loved by so many. We will miss you, Kimber.”
Ashley Mills previously said the family made the difficult decision to place Kimber on a do-not-resuscitate order due to the extent of her brain injuries and honor her wish to be an organ donor.
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“She has too much trauma to her brain,” Ashley Mills said. “We don’t want to hurt her anymore trying to bring her back.”
Friends and loved ones remembered Mills as a bright presence with a contagious smile. She was a cheerleader and track athlete at Cleveland High School and had planned to attend the University of Alabama in 2026, where she hoped to become a nurse.
“She had a little spunk to her step,” her sister said.
Despite being gravely wounded himself, McCay said he visited Mills in the hospital before her death.
“She was telling me she loved me by squeezing my hand,” he said.
Following news of Whitehead’s release on bond, Ashley Mills shared her reaction on Facebook, expressing fear and frustration.
“Justice for Kimber! That’s all we want,” she wrote. “That’s just more anxiety for me knowing he’s out. I’ll stay home.”
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office declined to elaborate on the bond decision, telling Fox News Digital it had no additional information to share.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
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