I haven't followed this story very closely but here are the alleged (although basically undeniable) facts as I understand them:
- A Bama BB player (subsequently kicked off the team although that is largely irrelevant since he is in jail anyway so it is not like he would be playing regardless) shot and killed a woman whom I believe was a mother. I do not know the relationship between the two people.
- A second Bama BB player who is still on the team brought the firearm to the scene.
- At least one additional Bama BB player who is still on the team was present at the time of the shooting.
No matter how it is spun, that is a REALLY bad look for Bama's BB program. From my fairly neutral perspective (I neither love nor hate Bama BB), my honest "sports" reaction was to wonder if Bama's rather impressive recent rise has been fuelled in part by taking questionable recruits that more established "Blue Blood type" programs may have passed on due to character questions.
I don't know that and I'm not alleging it, I'm just saying that it certainly crossed my mind.
Ultimately if Bama's BB rise WAS fuelled by taking questionable recruits then you (Bama fans in general, not you personally) deserve all the ribbing you are getting and will continue to get. Ie, your program made this bed.
If not, and this was just a dumb luck thing from Bama's perspective then that sucks for you and the program. I get it but basically get used to it. I've been tarred with the worst behavior of tOSU fans and seen that go every which way around here.
few corrections on your "facts"
1 - Miles, who you're referring to, did not shoot anyone. he brought a gun that night, left it in miller's car (with or without millers knowledge is unknown) while going into the club, asked for his gun back, handed it to davis (not a bama bball player or student, is a friend of miles from out of town) who subsequently killed ms. harris. miles is being charged with capital murder as an accessory.
2 - miller "brought the gun to the scene" is disingenuous at best. he was the designated driver, didn't go into the club with miles and co, was text to come pick them up
before any altercation had even occurred. was on his way to pick them up and literally moments from pulling into the area to pick them up when the infamous text to 'bring the gun' was sent. it's also unclear whether miller even saw the text before arriving.
3 - a 3rd player was there, and has been reported from the beginning. bradley. he is a witness and nothing more.
the "4th" player (i know you didn't make this claim, but it's been posted in here and needs to be corrected too) is a false claim and was reported incorrectly.
for a detailed rundown of events, read this:
https://patch.com/alabama/tuscaloosa/new-evidence-provides-compelling-account-bama-hoops-murder-casefor a quick(ish) synopsis:
- miller, miles, bradley (all 3 bball players), davis (non bama player nor student) arrive at club. miles apparently leave weapon in miller's car.
- miller leaves due to long line at club. goes to restaurant for a while.
- couple hours later, miles, bradley, and davis exit club, text miller to come pick them up (1:19 am). no altercation or even any interaction has happened yet.
- around same time as miles, bradley, and davis group leaves, ms harris and her boyfriend mr. johnson (other shooter involved), and her cousin, leave club as well. again, no confrontation has occurred yet.
- harris and co get in jeep, and circle around to where miles and co are/were.
- miles goes away to talking to his girlfriend, bradley in background somewhere, davis starts dancing and tries to talk to girls in jeep. this is the initial confrontation. some words exchanged, but nothing serious.
- miles circles back, and tries to get davis (and bradley in background) to move along.
- during this, miles and davis say they saw a firearm passed to mr johnson in the jeep. mr johnson and co deny this. video shows something passed in car, but it's unclear what it was.
- the groups move away from each other, and at this point is when the text is sent to 'bring my gun', using slang to say they've been threatened. this is at 1:38am. miller is already in route to pick them up when this text was sent. miles and bradley get in his car, but do not move.
- a completely unrelated fight breaks out. some girls are fighting, including miles girlfriend. it lasts from 1:38-142, in which miles is seen getting out of the car to get his gf from the fight and take her back to her car. davis is also seen trying to break up the fight.
- during this time, mr johnson has gotten out of jeep to talk to someone, gotten back in jeep as driver now, and has driven to a nearby parking lot and got out to talk with someone again. after that, they circled the block.
- miller pulled up to grace street (where this happened), and parks behind bradley. miles and davis, after getting miles gf to her car, go to millers car. once there, miles retrieves the gun and hands it to davis, telling him it's loaded (in slang).
- at roughly the same time, johnson and co, in the jeep, pull up to yield sign at grace st, and turns off the headlights. this yield sign intersection is in clear view of where miller and bradley's cars are parked.
- miles gf gets out of her car, goes to millers car, still apparently upset about her fight, and miles goes to get her in car again.
- johnson pulls off in other direction, does a u-turn, and pulls up behind millers car, lights still off.
- davis, who had walked off, comes running back towards jeep. this is when first shot is fired (1:45). it is unclear who fired first, though there is at least some evidence that mr johnson fired first from inside the jeep. he and his company deny it.
- davis is shot, and runs off while firing towards jeep. 2 shots end up hitting millers car, suspected to be fired from davis. 2 shots from davis hit jeep, 1 killing ms harris.
- miller in his car, johnson in the jeep, and miles and his gf in her car, all flee scene when shooting starts. it's unclear where or what bradley did (at least i haven't seen anything definitive) though i suspect he took off as well.
- mr johnson pulls up to a police car on nearby university blvd. tells his side of story to police there. it's worth noting this is only time he has talked to police. he didn't show for subpoena at initial hearing, and is subject to a subpoena currently, but they can't find him. ms harris cousin has cooperated with investigation, even denying under oath some of the claims mr johnson initially made.
- davis is picked up by miles and his gf, taken back to apartment, and 911 called for his shot. there initial story was untrue.
- miller and bradley were contacted by police during the early investigation, and have cooperated fully, providing video (miller dash cam aught most of it) and phone evidence.
as for you wondering about the kids characters, miles history is about as spotless as can be. prior to this incident, anyway.
miller and bradley, likewise, have nothing i am aware of to suggest they're anything but good kids.
davis does have a history of problems, but again, is unrelated to the bball team and university as a whole, outside of his association with miles.
it's unknown if johnson has any history, but he is currently avoiding subpoena. and, according to the story linked above, one of the people he met up with right before the incident, a mr greene, has an extensive history of violence and has subsequently been arrested again on charges of assaulting a police officer, among other things. this doesn't mean anything for mr johnson other than his association.
ridicule those fans that do dumb shit like those shirts, i'll be right there with you.
if you read through all this, bravo. ended up being waaay longer than intended. i suspect most won't, and will continue on in ignorance about that event.
