Atmore News

07/02/2025

School staffer arrested as Hooks murder probe continues

Atmore police reported today (Wednesday, July 2) that a staff member of a local school has been arrested in connection to the events that led up to the recent shooting death of a local teen.

Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that “a current staff member of Escambia County High School” became the ongoing APD investigation’s seventh arrest when 24-year-old Jalen Pugh was taken into custody on July 1 after he refused to cooperate with the police investigators.

McMann said APD investigators determined that Pugh, who is shown as a physical education teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School on that school’s website, was at the scene when gunfire erupted following the payoff for an illegal street race or series of races.

Hooks was fatally wounded, and an unidentified female was hospitalized after she was hit by at least one bullet.

The police spokesman said Pugh “admitted to being at the scene but declined to answer any further questions.”

He is presently being held in the Escambia County Detention Center, awaiting a bond hearing on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. No mug shot had been posted to the jail’s website by early afternoon.

McMann said the investigation into Pugh’s involvement in the fatal shooting “remains open to determine his full involvement in the street race preceding the shooting and his actions after the incident.”

The city detective added that the investigation into the Hooks shooting is still ongoing, although he didn’t expect any major felonies to evolve from the police probe.

Send a message to learn more

07/02/2025

School staffer charged in connection with Hooks murder

Atmore police reported today (Wednesday, July 2) that a staff member of a local school has been arrested in connection to the events that led up to the recent shooting death of a local teen.

Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that “a current staff member of Escambia County High School” became the ongoing APD investigation’s seventh arrest when 24-year-old Jalen Pugh was taken into custody on July 1 after he refused to cooperate with police investigators.

McMann said APD investigators determined that Pugh, who is shown as a physical education teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School on that school’s website, was at the scene where gunfire erupted following the payoff for an illegal street race or series of races.

The police spokesman said Pugh “admitted to being at the scene but declined to answer any further questions.”

The suspect is presently being held in the Escambia County Detention Center, awaiting a bond hearing on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. No mug shot had been posted to the jail’s website by early afternoon.

McMann said the investigation into Pugh’s involvement in the fatal shooting “remains open to determine his full involvement in the street race preceding the shooting and his actions after the incident.”

The city detective added that the investigation into the Hooks shooting is still ongoing, although he didn’t expect any major felonies to evolve from the police probe.

Send a message to learn more

07/01/2025

Butler woman loses life in crash near Toxey

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials reported today (Tuesday, July 1) that a single-vehicle crash that occurred around 2:24 p.m. Monday, June 30, claimed the life of a Butler woman.

According to Alabama State Trooper reports, 77-year-old Evie D. Turner was fatally injured when the 2016 Ford Fusion she was driving left Choctaw County 18, struck several trees, and overturned.

Turner was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash, which occurred near the county road's Kirksey Road junction, approximately five miles northeast of Toxey's city limits.

No other details were provided as troopers continued their fatality investigation.

Send a message to learn more

06/30/2025

Arrest made in Dec. '24 murders on Ashley Street

Atmore police investigators, bolstered by the recent completion by state crime lab technicians of tests on evidence in several shootings, have charged Dexter Adams with the December 2024 murder of two Atmore men who were slain as they sat in car on Ashley Street.

APD detectives reportedly served the murder warrants on Adams in his cell at the Escambia County Detention Center, charging him with the murders of 25-year-old Juwan McNeal and 27-year-old Joe Jones Jr.

He has been held in the facility since his May 11 arrest in connection with a May 7 incident during which 47 shots were fired at a vehicle as it approached the junction of North Main and Howard S\streets.

For more details, see this week's final edition of Atmore News.

06/27/2025

4 more arrested in Hooks murder; also charged in Oct. 31 shooting

Atmore police reported this afternoon (Friday, June 27) that four more suspects have been taken into custody in connection to the murder of an Atmore teen and the shooting of a female, reportedly also a teen.

The shooting, which followed a series of illegal car races, happened around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, and left Gabriel Hooks, 17, dead near the intersection of Carver Avenue and 18th Avenue

Exavion Bradley (20), Kcarheem McKenzie (19), Timothy Sanders (18), and a 17-year-old juvenile, all from Atmore, were arrested in reference to the June 24 shooting death of Hooks, a former Escambia County High football standout. Hooks and Bradley were formerly Blue Devils teammates.

Each of the four are charged with murder and attempted murder. Their mugshots had not been posted to the Escambia County Detention Center website at 2:30 p.m. today.

Happenstance and good detective work combined to identify the murder suspects, said APD Sgt. Darrell McMann.

“On June 23 …an investigator who had been investigating an unrelated incident involving a firearm, discovered evidence directly connecting Bradley, McKenzie, Sanders, and the 17-year-old juvenile, to a shooting that occurred on October 31, 2024.”

Four houses along 4th Avenue, including two where the families were at home, were shot into in that incident, and three parked vehicles were hit. The shooter or shooters left dozens of spent shell casings from weapons of several different calibers on the ground around the shooting sites.

Along with the new charges from the Hooks murder, Bradley, McKenzie, Sanders, and the 17-year-old have also each been charged in the Halloween shooting.

Each of them faces five additional counts of attempted murder, two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, two counts of discharging a firearm into an unoccupied dwelling, and three counts of discharging a firearm into an unoccupied vehicle.

Send a message to learn more

06/26/2025

Pensacola man killed in Saturday crash near Robertsdale

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) officials report that a two-vehicle crash that occurred Saturday, June 21, claimed the life of a Pensacola, Fla., man.

State trooper reports show that Raymond M. Francoeur, 61, was fatally injured around 1 a.m. when the 2018 Kia Soul he was driving collided with a 2012 Ram 1500 pickup driven by Jared A. Munoz-Rivera, 20, of Stapleton.

Francoeur was pronounced dead at the scene, while Munoz-Rivera was flown to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. An 18-year-old passenger in the Ram was also injured and was taken by ambulance to an undisclosed area hospital.

The crash occurred on U.S. 90, near mile-marker 67, approximately five miles east of the Robertsdale city limits.

No further details were reported as troopers continued to investigate.

Send a message to learn more

06/26/2025

2nd Evergreen man charged in Tuesday murder

A second Evergreen man has been charged in connection to the early Tuesday shooting that left one Atmore teen dead and another person injured.

Atmore Police Department Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that 24-year-old Javarius Watkins of Evergreen, surrendered yesterday (Wednesday, June 25) to sheriff’s officers at the Escambia County Detention Center.

Police reported that a group of people, including 17-year-old Gabriel Hooks, met around 1:30 a.m. on Carver Avenue near 18th Avenue for a street race. Gunfire erupted at the completion of the race, after the winners collected their money.

Hooks and an unidentified person were taken by private vehicle to Atmore Community Hospital, where Hooks later died. The other person was flown to an area trauma center and reportedly remained there this morning.

Tyler Hall, 22, also of Evergreen, was taken into custody Wednesday. He and Watkins are each charged with murder and attempted murder. Both remained in the Escambia County Detention Center, without bond, this morning.

McMann said still more arrests are forthcoming.

06/25/2025

Evergreen man charged with murder in Hooks shooting

Atmore police reported this morning (Wednesday, June 25) that a 22-year-old Conecuh County man has been arrested in connection to an early Tuesday shooting that left a teenager dead and injured another individual.

Police said the fatal shooting, which happened at some time around 1:30 a.m., stemmed from sour grapes over a car race.

“The investigation revealed that a group of people met on Carver Avenue, near 18th Avenue, for a car race,” reported Sgt. Darrell McMann. “Gunfire erupted at the completion of the race, after the winners collected their money.”

Tyler Hall, of Evergreen, has been taken into custody and has been charged with one count each of murder and attempted murder. He remained in the Escambia County Detention Center, without bond, this morning.

Gabriel Hooks, a recent Escambia County High School graduate who was a standout defensive lineman for the Blue Devils, succumbed to his injuries at Atmore Community Hospital.

A female, who has not yet been identified, was flown to an area trauma center with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

McMann said “additional arrests are forthcoming” in connection to the homicide.

06/24/2025

Atmore News to cease
July 2 will be the last edition

By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher

Tomorrow’s edition of Atmore News (June 28, 2025) is the next to the last edition that will be published. Next week, July 2, 2025, will be the last edition.

This was not an easy decision, but one that Myrna and I have been talking about for months, even years, as we’ve watched the newspaper decline.

We will continue to publish “atmore” magazine.

For years, we’ve included the magazine in our home delivery newspapers as a courtesy. The July magazine will be included in next week’s paper, and that will be the last delivery. Obviously, since there will no longer be home delivery newspapers, there will no longer be home delivery magazines. They will be available at the advertisers’ locations.

Many of you have time left on your Atmore News subscription. If you want your balance refunded, we’ll have information next week on how to get your refund. This in no way affects out-of-town magazine mailing.

Myrna, Ryan Carter and I started Atmore News in June 2005. We’ve waited until we completed 20 years to let it go. It just seemed fitting – reaching such a milestone.

We have always felt like we lived up to our words on our masthead – Atmore News, The Community’s Newspaper.

Send a message to learn more

06/24/2025

Former ECHS athlete shot to death

Atmore police reported this morning (Tuesday, June 24) that a predawn shooting on Carver Avenue has left a former Escambia County High School student-athlete dead.

According to police reports, 17-year-old Gabriel Hooks died at Atmore Community Hospital early this morning. A second victim, who has not been identified by police, was flown to an area trauma center with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

For more details on the shooting, see this week's edition of Atmore News.

Send a message to learn more

06/24/2025

APD investigating predawn Tuesday shooting

No details had been released by 8:30 a.m. today (Tuesday, June 24), but Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks confirmed that city detectives are currently conducting an investigation into a shooting that took place in the city early this morning, reportedly on 18th Avenue.

Brooks wouldn't confirm or deny reports that the shooting was fatal but promised police would issue a press release later this morning.

Send a message to learn more

06/23/2025

'Celebration of Life' for Murray Johnson this Saturday

Family members of Murray Johnson, who passed away last Wednesday, June 18, have posted on Facebook that a Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m. this Saturday, June 28, at First Baptist Church of Atmore for the man credited with enhancing or redirecting the lives of hundreds of young ball players over the past 50-plus years.

Visitation will take place at the South Main Street church from 1:30 p.m. until the 3 p.m. service time.

Burial will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen.

Send a message to learn more