A 9-year-old girl named Cailee Knight lost her life while sleeping on a couch at her Mobile, Alabama, home when gunfire struck the residence on Dec. 5, 2023.
Almost a year later, a 17-year-old suspect has been extradited from Texas and charged with capital murder in connection with her death, as confirmed by Mobile County District Attorney’s Office.
The 17-year-old, whose identity remains undisclosed due to age, faces charges along with four others who allegedly participated in the attack.
Cailee’s death, which shocked the community, reportedly involved the use of an AR-15, a powerful weapon typically associated with high-risk incidents.
Authorities have indicated that another family member, rather than Cailee herself, may have been the intended target; however, they have refrained from officially specifying the motives or targets until trial.
On a GoFundMe page, Cailee’s mother, Andrea Bright, shared her grief, remembering her daughter as a “beautiful spirit” and expressing the pain of losing her so young.
In the months following the shooting, law enforcement has detained Ariel Curry and Tyrone Williams, both of whom were later indicted on two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder.
Curry and Williams were held without bond under Aniah’s Law, which allows courts to deny bail for those accused of violent crimes.
Two additional suspects, Darius Lucky Jr. and Ricki Thier, were also detained in connection to Cailee’s death. Lucky faces two counts of capital murder, while Thier, who was previously linked to a separate homicide case, awaits trial on additional murder charges.
The suspects are scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 26, 2024, where they will face charges of capital murder.
Prosecutors have yet to reveal if they will pursue the death penalty; however, Alabama law stipulates that capital murder convictions can result in the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.
