In the quiet, early morning hours in Wilton, Alabama, a small community in Shelby County, the life of Courtney Renae Lewis, a 35-year-old woman from the nearby city of Calera, was brought to a violent end. The date was Sunday, October 25, 2026. While many in the town were still asleep, a fatal encounter unfolded that would soon draw a significant law enforcement response to Selma Street, a residential road not far from the Wilton Baptist Church.
According to court documents, the shooting
occurred at approximately 5:50 a.m. About fifteen minutes later, at 6:05 a.m., the Shelby County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting that someone had been shot. Deputies were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon their arrival on Selma Street, they discovered Courtney Lewis. She had sustained an apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The initial investigation into her death began as the sun rose on a day that would forever be marked by tragedy for her loved ones.
Investigators from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office worked quickly to identify a person of interest in the homicide. Their attention soon focused on 44-year-old John Wesley McClain, also a resident of Calera. Deputies located McClain and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, he was arrested, though his initial charges were for first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and illegal possession of prescription drugs.
As the investigation into Courtney's death progressed, evidence led authorities to formally charge John Wesley McClain with murder. Following the charge, Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego released a statement expressing his condolences and praising the work of his department. "Our hearts are with Cortney Lewis’s family and loved ones as they face this tragic loss," he stated, using an alternate spelling of her first name that appeared in some official reports. "I commend our deputies and investigators for their diligent work throughout this investigation. While an arrest has been made, our work is not finished. We remain committed to following the evidence and conducting a thorough investigation."
The Montevallo Police Department also reportedly assisted in the response to the shooting. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Courtney's death was announced as ongoing, even after the arrest and murder charge. Authorities have not publicly released a motive for the shooting or detailed the relationship between Courtney Lewis and John Wesley McClain.
As of late October 2026, the case against McClain is in the early stages of the legal process. The swift arrest brought a suspect into custody, but the full story of what happened on that Sunday morning on Selma Street is yet to be revealed in a court of law. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office has urged anyone with information about the case to come forward and contact them at (205) 670-6000 or Investigator Bulgrin directly at (205) 670-6122. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (205) 254-7777.
