Fellow shooting victim recalls horrifying attack at party as students line up to say goodbye to cheerleader on life-support
A man who was shot in an horrific shooting at a bonfire in Jefferson County last week has recalled the devastating incident.
Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, was arrested on Sunday (October 19) after 18-year-old Kimber Mills was shot in the head and leg at a bonfire she was attending in Pinson, Alabama.
Nobody knew who Whitehead was, according to those at the bonfire. He has since been charged with murder after Mills was taken off life support on Tuesday (October 21), along with three counts of attempted murder.
Three others were injured in the shooting after a fight broke out at the bonfire, with one of them being Silas McCay, who was shot multiple times.
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Recalling the horrific incident, McCay told WBRC: "My ex-girlfriend came up to me at the party and said they were trying to do stuff to this girl named Kimber.
"Me and my buddy found him and started fighting him. I grabbed him, had him on the ground, and my buddy pulled me off. That’s when he pulled his gun out and started shooting."
Hundreds of students from from Mills' school lined the hallway of the hospital the day Mills' life support was turned off, as her sister revealed Mills wanted to be an organ donor.
She told the Daily Mail that Mills' heart was donated to seven-year-old boy and her lungs to a woman in New York.
Tributes have been pouring in for the teenager, including a heartbreaking admission from her classmate Marilu Valdez.
"It was really sad. It broke my heart to know someone as bright as her, beautiful smile, beautiful spirit could have gone through that," she told ABC News.
"Love like Kimber, and to take those moments you have with your loved ones and your friends and make the most of them. You never know what might happen."
Blount County Schools also paid their respects, penning on Facebook: "Our school district is deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of one of our students, Ms. Kimber Mills.
"Kimber was a bright, outgoing senior cheerleader for Cleveland High School. Kimber’s smile and infectious personality will certainly be missed, but she will always be remembered.
"Our heart is burdened for her family and for the impact this will have on the students, faculty, and staff at Cleveland High School."
A GoFundMe page has been created for Mills' family, which you can donate here.
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.
Callum Jones