Second Suspect in Custody for Friday Murder of 13-Year-Old in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
A second suspect has been taken into custody for the murder of a 13-year-old in West Tuscaloosa Friday night.
Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, alerted members of the media Monday afternoon of the arrest.
Kennedy said Julian Lamont Gordon, Jr., age 21, is being charged with Capital Murder without bond.
James Deanthony Reed, 18, was the first suspect taken into custody. He has been charged with Capital Murder and will be held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond.
Capital murder is the most serious charge available to prosecutors in Alabama. Suspects are held without bond until they go to trial, and if convicted of capital murder, the only two sentencing options available are life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
The incident occurred Friday around 6:20 p.m. on Washington Square. Tuscaloosa Police officers responded to reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found 13-year-old Kei'lan Allen dead at the scene.
He had been sitting in his room, playing on his iPad, when multiple gunshots were fired from a vehicle towards the house. Bullets came through the window, striking him in his head.
Police believe the shooters were targeting an older relative who was in the house with Allen.
Kennedy said he expected more arrests in the future after Reed was transported to the Tuscaloosa County Jail Sunday night.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.