In the spring of 2019, the life of 35-year-old Shawn Bernard Callins was violently cut short in his Dothan, Alabama, apartment. On the afternoon of May 25th, what began as a home invasion robbery escalated into a fatal encounter for Callins, a Black male, and left another victim critically injured. Four individuals forced their way into his residence on Florida Avenue with the intent to rob him.
When Callins resisted, the intruders opened fire, shooting him multiple times.
The assailants also shot a woman in the apartment, Kenisha Lashea Lee, who was six and a half months pregnant. Emergency services arrived to find both Callins and Lee with multiple gunshot wounds. They were rushed to the Southeast Health Emergency Room, where Callins ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Lee survived the initial attack but was in critical condition and was airlifted to a hospital in Florida for further treatment of her severe injuries.
In the wake of the shooting, Lee underwent an emergency C-section to deliver her baby. Tragically, the infant boy was placed on life support and died a short time later. This added another layer of tragedy to an already devastating crime.
The Dothan Police Department swiftly launched an investigation that led to the identification and arrest of four suspects. Willie Gerome Blackmon, 18, and Kaleb Tyreak Tubbs, 18, both from Dothan, were apprehended and charged with capital murder in connection with the robbery and attempted murder for the shooting of Lee. Further investigation led to the arrests of two other individuals, 17-year-old Carlos Lindsey of Opp and 21-year-old David Key of Abbeville. Following the death of the infant, all four suspects faced an additional charge of murder. They were held in the Houston County Jail without bond.
