An Alabama man, aged 27, was apprehended following a shooting incident at a children’s dance recital that resulted in one fatality and another person injured. The suspect, Marcus Deangelo Sanders, was arrested over the weekend and charged with murder in the death of Carl Williams III, also 27. Williams, a father of two young girls, was attending the recital to watch his daughter perform when the incident occurred, according to law enforcement officials.
The Mobile County Police Department reported that officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Saenger Theatre on South Joachim Street. The initial investigation revealed that a dispute had occurred inside the building during the dance recital, leading to the shooting of a known male victim. A bullet also hit a second victim during the altercation.
Sanders was identified as the shooter by authorities, but he had already left the scene. He later turned himself in to the police and was transported to the Metro Jail late Sunday evening, where he was booked on the murder charge.
Mobile Police Chief William Jackson expressed his disgust at the incident, stating, “To bring this to a child’s dance recital is despicable.” Mobile Mayor Sandy Simpson echoed these sentiments, expressing shock that anyone would bring a loaded gun to a child’s dance recital and fire it in a crowded theater. He condemned the act as “sickening” and stated that no conflict or disagreement justified putting so many people at risk or subjecting children to such lasting trauma.
Williams, the deceased, was the father of two daughters, aged 5 and 6. He was at the Saenger Theatre that night to watch them perform. Keyon Williams, the victim’s uncle, described his nephew as a former standout athlete in high school who was “always supporting his daughters.” He remembered the victim as a fun-loving, easy-going individual who wanted to see others succeed.
Michelle Murphy, a parent whose child was also performing at the recital, recounted the incident to a local Fox affiliate. She described a brief commotion before the shooting started. Despite the chaos, she praised the organization hosting the recital, Danze 101, for their professionalism and care for the children.