Mobile, Alabama – Three individuals faced arraignment Wednesday on charges of capital murder, accused of being involved in the tragic killing of a 14-year-old girl while she was a passenger in a vehicle in Midtown.
During the proceedings, two of the suspects, Lamonyae Laburn Forrest, 20, and Semaj James, 18, both hailing from Mobile, requested to be considered as “youthful offenders.” A scheduled hearing for June 17 will determine the outcome. Under state law, individuals under 21 years old at the time of the offense may be eligible for this status, resulting in sealed court records and a maximum prison term of three years.
The third defendant, Archie Terrance Petite, aged 38, does not qualify for “youthful offender” status. He entered a plea of not guilty during the arraignment.
The fatal shooting took place in May 2022 as Ciara Jackson, visiting family from Houston, was in a car being driven by her 15-year-old aunt. As they turned onto Michael Donald Avenue, they encountered a situation where multiple individuals, including the defendants, began firing at the vehicle, resulting in ten bullets striking it.
According to testimony from Detective Glenn Barton of the Mobile Police Department, the shooters were anticipating retaliation from a previous altercation, with Petite identified as the initial shooter, triggering a series of gunfire exchanges on the street that led to the tragic outcome.