One of the men charged in the October 2021 mass shooting at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium is asking a Mobile County judge to grant him youthful offender status.
Hezekiah Belfon, now 21, was 19 when the shooting erupted at the Mobile stadium. He faces five counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident, which police said was gang-related and left five people injured.
What youthful offender status means
Under Alabama law, defendants who were under 21 when an alleged offense occurred can petition the court for youthful offender status. If granted, proceedings are closed and any sentence imposed is handled through the juvenile-style youthful offender system rather than standard adult sentencing.
Belfon’s request was set to be reviewed at his arraignment hearing on May 4, 2023. The Ladd-Pebbles shooting shook the Mobile community and prompted heightened security discussions around large public events, including high school football games hosted at the stadium.