Controversial Release: Man Accused of High School Cheerleader’s Murder Freed from Jail

A man facing charges for the fatal shooting of an Alabama high school cheerleader during a late-night bonfire party has been released from custody.

Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, was freed from the Jefferson County Jail after a judge approved a bond set at $330,000. This decision has prompted the victim’s sister to express her concerns, stating she plans to “stay home” for safety.

As part of his release conditions, Whitehead must wear an electronic monitoring device to track his movements.

Whitehead is accused of murdering 18-year-old Kimber Mills and is facing murder charges in connection with her death.

Additionally, he faces three counts of attempted murder for injuring other individuals during the incident in October 2025.

The decision to free the accused killer on bond came just months after the fatal shooting shattered a tight-knit Alabama community.

Following news of his release, Kimber’s sister, Ashley Mills shared her reaction online.

‘That’s just more anxiety for me knowing he’s out. I’ll stay home,’ she wrote. ‘Justice for Kimber! That’s all we want.’ 

Kimber, a senior at Cleveland High School, was shot during a bonfire party in October last year in a heavily wooded area near Highway 75 North and Clay-Palmerdale Road in Pinson, Alabama.

Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, charged with Kimber’s attempted murder has been released from the Jefferson County Jail after posting a $330,000 bond

Kimber Mills, 18, was shot in the head and leg at a bonfire party near Cleveland in Alabama. She later died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham

The secluded location was known locally as ‘The Pit,’ where teenagers often gathered to listen to music and hang out.

Investigators say roughly 40 to 50 young people were at the party when chaos erupted just after midnight.

Authorities allege Whitehead became involved in a verbal and physical confrontation before pulling out a gun and opening fire.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office previously said Whitehead fired multiple rounds during the chaos, striking Mills and three others.

One of the wounded victims, Silas McCay, 21, later told WBRC that he was shot 10 times while trying to protect his friends.

‘I look at her like a little sister to me,’ McCay said from his hospital bed. ‘I tried everything I could. I wish there was more I could’ve done.’

McCay said the violence began after he and another man confronted Whitehead, who he claimed was attempting to talk to Mills before a fight broke out.

‘My ex-girlfriend came up to me at the party and said he was trying to do stuff to this girl named Kimber,’ McCay said. 

Kimber was a well-liked cheerleader at Cleveland High School who aspired to become a nurse

Her family said doctors had told them her injuries were so severe she would not survive after she suffered gunshot wounds to the head and leg

One of the wounded victims, Silas McCay, 21, pictured, later said he was shot 10 times while trying to protect his friends

‘My buddy and I found him, and we started fighting him. I grabbed him and put him over my shoulder and had him on the ground. My buddy pulled me off him, and that’s when he pulled his gun out and started shooting.’

McCay and another man, Hunter McCullouch, 19, were later charged with third-degree assault in connection with the altercation before the shooting. 

Authorities have not alleged that either man fired a weapon. McCay himself was also among those shot.

Mills was rushed to UAB Hospital in Birmingham after being shot in the head and leg, according to Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush. 

Doctors fought for days to save her, but the injuries were catastrophic.

Hundreds of people lined the corridors of UAB Hospital as Kimber’s bed was wheeled through the hallways. 

Nurses, doctors, friends and strangers stood shoulder to shoulder, many in tears.

McCay, despite being shot ten times himself, forced himself out of his hospital bed to follow her.

‘She was telling me she loved me by squeezing my hand,’ he said.

McCay’s brother, Shane, later told CBS News: ‘It was emotional. As soon as she turned that corner, the whole hallway was crying. You can tell she was really loved by the whole community.’

Friends and family described Kimber as full of energy, kindness and ambition.

Kimber was a cheerleader and track athlete, known for her smile and her enthusiasm. She planned to attend the University of Alabama in 2026 and hoped to become a nurse.

‘She had a little spunk to her step,’ her sister said.

At a candlelight vigil on the football field at Cleveland High School, Ashley told mourners: ‘We shouldn’t be burying our little sister. It should be the other way around. It’s supposed to go from oldest to youngest not youngest first.’

‘She wanted to do things that I wanted to that I wasn’t able to, like be a nurse, help people and that’s exactly what she was trying to do that night… just help.’

Dozens of people lined the corridors of UAB Hospital for her honor walk last October, silently watching as her bed was wheeled through the hospital before her organs were transplanted

A vigil was held for Kimber on the field of her high school as family and friends said goodbye

Ashley also explained how Kimber had never met Whitehead before the party.

‘He was trying to hit on a girl there and give her things that she didn’t want,’ Ashley said. ‘We hope he gets what he deserves.’

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the bond decision, saying it had no additional information to share.

Whitehead remains charged with murder and attempted murder and is expected to face trial at a later date. He has not entered a plea.

A GoFundMe page initially created to help Kimber’s family with medical expenses has now been repurposed to assist all of the shooting victims.