MOUNT VERNON, Ala. — Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch has released new details about the chain of events that led to a deadly stabbing at a graduation party in Mount Vernon earlier this month.
Burch said more than 100 people showed up to the party on Coy Smith Highway on the night of May 9, though most of them had not been invited.
A Dispute Between Friends Turns Violent
According to Burch, 20-year-old Caleb Reed and 20-year-old David Sullivan were longtime friends who got into what court documents describe as a “personal dispute” that escalated into a physical confrontation.
“The defendant pulled out a gun, shot several rounds and the gun was taken from him by a mutual friend,” Burch said. “They were separated and went about their ways. A few minutes later they encounter each other again.”
Burch said Reed then produced a knife. Someone at the party attempted to intervene and was cut in the process but was unable to stop Reed, who went on to stab Sullivan four times. Sullivan, who friends and family knew as “Man-Man,” died from his injuries. He was remembered by loved ones as loving, respectful and someone who could light up any room he entered.
Reed has been charged with murder and second-degree assault in connection with the incident.
Competing Accounts
Court documents also lay out Reed’s version of events, which claims he was attacked by Sullivan multiple times and had retreated before the fatal encounter. Prosecutors dispute that account, and the exact origin of the dispute between the two men remains unclear.
Burch said Sullivan was a close family member of the homeowner who hosted the party. While the homeowner could potentially face a charge related to hosting an unauthorized gathering, the sheriff suggested the family’s grief made further legal action unlikely.
“I’ll say this, my understanding he is a close relative of Sullivan and so there’s nothing; the house party thing is a misdemeanor,” Burch said. “There’s nothing law enforcement can do to him that’s worse than the suffering he’s going through right now.”
Reed Released on Bond
Jail records show Reed was released after posting a $425,000 bond. As a condition of his release, court records show he is required to wear an ankle monitor. His arraignment was scheduled for May 13.
The case remains under investigation, and additional details may emerge as it moves through the Mobile County court system.