Atmore men jailed for murder

Atmore residents Michael Lashan Weaver and Michael Bernard Pettway were arrested Monday on murder charges for the May 18, 2019 shooting death of Chirshawn Jermaine Westry, 19, in a shooting at the Atmore Family Life Center that also left eight other people injured.

Weaver, 21, 7736 Jack Springs Road, and Pettway, 22, 209 10th Ave., are both being held in the Escambia County Detention Center on $500,000 bond each. The two men appeared before District Judge Eric Coale Monday afternoon for a bond hearing. Both told the judge they were on probation for other offenses at the time of their arrest on the murder charge. Court records show that Pettway was also out on a $15,000 bond for a Jan. 27, 2018 arrest for unlawful possession of marijuana I for possessing about 13 ounces of marijuana.

In a motion signed by Assistant District Attorney Todd Stearns and approved by Circuit Judge Jeff White, Pettway's bond on the marijuana charge was revoked.

Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks said police are continuing their investigation into the other shooting victims in the case.

"We're not through," Brooks said of the investigation "There could potentially be more arrests."

Brooks said no clear motive for the shooting has been determined but said it appears it stemmed from an earlier murder on Sunset Drive noting there was animosity between the victim and the shooters.

"Our investigators did a great job," Brooks said of the investigation. "They stayed patient and worked hard. It was good police work."

Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call the Atmore Police Department at 251-368-9141 or their nearest law enforcement agency.

Atmore police were dispatched to the old Escambia County Middle School which served as the Atmore Family Life Center at 100 Martin Luther King Drive about 2 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 in reference to shots being fired.

Brooks said when officers arrived at the scene they heard gunshots going off around the property. Westry's body was found in the cafeteria of the building.

Witnesses told police a fight broke out between two females and then multiple gunshots rang out inside the building. The suspects ran to the parking lot and more shots were fired and more people were shot. One witness estimated he heard at least 150 shots being fired inside and outside the building.

The event was advertised as 'Shake presents Taurus Takeover Birthday Bash' and more than 700 people showed up for the event that began at 10 p.m. on that Friday.

The Escambia County School Board had leased the old middle school building to Lillie Johnson to run the family life center and Johnson then rented the building to someone else for the birthday bash. The school board immediately canceled its lease agreement with Johnson following the shooting.