Cowarts, Alabama — A tight‑knit community is grappling with pain this weekend after 16‑year‑old Karion Parrish was killed in a shooting at his home on Jordan Avenue late Thursday night into Friday morning. What was meant to be a quiet evening turned into tragedy when gunfire erupted from outside the house and struck the young boy, leaving his family and neighbors in mourning.
Emergency crews with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office were called to the residence around 9:45 p.m. Thursday after reports of shots being fired near the home. Investigators later learned Parrish was inside when a single bullet flew through the window and hit him. Coroner Robert Byrd pronounced him dead at the scene, confirming that the gunshot wound was fatal.
Authorities have swiftly moved in the hours since the shooting. Sheriff Donald Valenza announced that four people have been arrested and charged in connection with Parrish’s death. Two of the suspects are adults: 18‑year‑old Dakota Chase Owens of Ashford and 21‑year‑old J.J. Lee Sampson of Dothan. Two others, ages 16 and 17, cannot be named due to Alabama’s juvenile privacy laws but are being charged as adults under current state statutes.
Law enforcement said search warrants yielded significant evidence tying the suspects to the shooting, and all four are being held without bond. Valenza did not publicly reveal a motive, saying the investigation is ongoing and that more details will be shared as they become available.
In the hours after news of Parrish’s death spread, neighbors described a community suddenly thrown into shock and sorrow. Friends and family spoke of a bright young life with promise ahead of him, snatched away in a burst of mindless violence that now leaves unanswered questions and aching hearts.
Residents along Jordan Avenue, where the shooting took place, gathered in small groups Friday morning, offering hugs and shared memories. Many urged their neighbors to remember Karion not for the moment of violence but for the laughter, dreams, and everyday moments of a life cut too short.
Sheriff Valenza and deputies continue to seek any witnesses or information that might shed light on exactly what led to the deadly shots. In the meantime, the family has asked for space and privacy as they begin to grieve, and community members are supporting one another, holding vigil in prayer and remembrance for a teen whose future will never be realized.
