A suspect has been arrested following the reported shooting of Alabama stepsisters Kayden Lynch, 19, and Madison Daly, 18, on Christmas Eve.
Per Lee County outlet The Observer, 18-year-old Jalen Dashawn Holmes is in custody facing capital murder charges for the alleged shooting of the two young women. According to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, per local media outlet WSFA 12Holmes is being held in the Lee County Jail without bond and faces at least five charges, including capital murder. The outlet also reports that he was neighbors with the victims.
The teens, who were also stepsisters and roommates, per local media outlet WKRGwere found shot dead in their home on US-29 N near Lee Road 2113 in the Beulah community.
Madison’s mother told WKRG that Madison also leaves behind a young daughter.
Jalen Holmes.
Lee County Jail
According to a statement from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shared with PEOPLE, police received a call at approximately 3:48 p.m. on Dec. 24 reporting gunfire. Responding deputies were directed to a residence in the 100 block of Lee Road 2113 where they discovered two females aged 18 and 19. They had suffered what appeared to be gunshot wounds and were unresponsive. Local coroner Daniel Sexton pronounced the two women dead at the scene.
Locals in the area told WSFA 12 that they don’t know “how or why this could happen,” especially during the holidays.
According to police, Holmes had reportedly assaulted his mother at her nearby residence and taken a handgun. On leaving his mother’s home, he entered the neighboring residence, where the victims were found. Two 9-year-old twin girls, who had been at the residence earlier, left shortly before the shooting and were unharmed.
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A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up by family member Tyler Daly with the aim of raising $5,000 for “end of life costs,” per the page.
“My sister and step-sister were killed on December 24th by their neighbor. I’m just looking to cover end-of-life costs,” Daly wrote on the page. “If you feel it in your heart to donate I deeply appreciate the help in this nightmarish time.”
The GoFundMe had already surpassed its target on Monday, Dec. 30.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Daly and Lynch remain under active investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, per the release from the sheriff’s office.
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