MOBILE, Ala. — A fifth person has been charged with murder in connection with a May shooting on O’Donnell Street that left one man dead and four others injured, the Mobile Police Department said.
Keiondre Mosley, 19, was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail on Thursday, Sept. 17, and charged with murder. Officers said Mosley is connected to the shooting death of 20-year-old Daniel Franklin, who was killed around 2 a.m. on May 18.
Five Charged, Two of Them Juveniles
Mosley joins four others already facing murder charges in the case. Terrance Withers and Kameron Norwood were previously charged, along with two juveniles whose identities have not been released because of their age.
Alabama law shields the identities of juvenile defendants in most circumstances, though juveniles charged with certain violent offenses — murder among them — may be transferred to adult court following a hearing. Whether either juvenile in this case will face that process has not been announced.
What Is Known About the Shooting
The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 18, on O’Donnell Street. Franklin died of his injuries. Four other people were wounded.
Police have not publicly described a motive or the circumstances that preceded the gunfire. The department characterized the case as developing, and investigators have not said whether additional arrests are anticipated.
Why Cases Like This Take Months
Four months elapsed between the shooting and Mosley’s arrest — and the case has produced arrests in stages rather than all at once. That pattern is common in shootings with multiple participants and multiple victims.
Investigations of this kind typically depend on ballistic evidence, which must be processed through a state forensic laboratory; on digital evidence such as phone records and video from nearby residences and businesses; and on witness accounts, which in shootings involving several people can be inconsistent or slow to come forward. Prosecutors generally seek warrants as the evidence supporting each individual’s alleged role becomes sufficient, which is why arrests in a single incident can be separated by weeks or months.
Under Alabama’s accomplice liability statutes, a person can be charged with murder without being the individual who fired the fatal shot. A defendant who aids, abets or participates in the underlying conduct may face the same charge as the shooter. The filing of five murder charges in a single shooting does not, by itself, indicate that investigators believe five people fired weapons.
Murder Charges Under Alabama Law
Murder is a Class A felony in Alabama, carrying a sentence range of 10 years to life. Where a defendant is alleged to have caused the death of two or more people, or to have committed the killing during the course of another felony, prosecutors may pursue a capital murder charge instead. No capital charge has been announced in this case.
Each of the five defendants is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in court. Cases proceed either through a preliminary hearing or directly to a Mobile County grand jury, which determines whether sufficient evidence exists to return an indictment.
Anyone With Information
The Mobile Police Department has asked anyone with information about the O’Donnell Street shooting to contact investigators. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through Mobile County Crime Stoppers, which does not require callers to identify themselves and which offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests.
This story is developing, and details may change as the investigation continues.