On a tragic night in Montgomery, Alabama, the life of 21-year-old Kimberle Briauna Johnson was cut short. It was December 28, 2013, at the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill, where gunshots shattered the festive atmosphere, leaving a scene of chaos and devastation. Johnson, a student at Troy University, was among those fatally wounded in the violent outbreak. The shooting also claimed the lives of 22-year-old local rapper Glenn Lamar 'Doe B' Thomas and 20-year-old Timnarius Q.
Hamilton, and left six other people injured.
In the wake of the deadly shooting, the Montgomery Police Department swiftly launched an investigation that led to the identification of three suspects. Jason McWilliams, then 25, turned himself in to authorities on December 30, 2013. A second suspect, Darius Thomas, also 25 at the time, surrendered to police on January 1, 2014. Both men were initially charged with two counts of capital murder. Later, a third individual, Taboris Mock, was also implicated and faced charges. The investigation suggested that the shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing dispute involving the rapper, Doe B.
The legal process that followed brought a measure of justice for the victims and their families. In a significant development, Darius Thomas entered into a plea agreement in December 2017, pleading guilty to the murders of Kimberle Johnson, Glenn Thomas, and Timnarius Hamilton. In January 2018, he was sentenced to 85 years in prison. During the sentencing, Kimberle's mother, Barbara Green, expressed that she had forgiven him. The other two men involved, Jason McWilliams and Taboris Mock, were each sentenced to 15 years in prison on three counts of first-degree assault. The club where the shooting occurred, the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill, was shut down by the city of Montgomery, deemed an imminent threat to public safety.
