Sylacauga man arrested for fatal shooting of Coosa student
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Julian Nacarie Speer was arrested Monday and charged in the fatal shooting of a Coosa County student. Photo submitted
Dallas Johnson, a student at Central High School Coosa County, was shot and killed March 7 in Sylacauga. Photo submitted
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
A young Sylacauga man was arrested Monday in connection to the fatal shooting of a Central High School Coosa County student that occurred earlier this month.
The Sylacauga Police Department reported in a press release that on March 20, 18-year-old Julian Nacarie Speer was arrested for capital murder at a relative’s home on Tabor Road in Gadsden. He was taken into custody by Sylacauga investigators, Talladega County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force agents, members of the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit, and agents from the U.S. Marshal’s Service at about 10:45 a.m. Monday without incident.
Speer’s warrant was signed by Talladega County Circuit Judge Will Hollingsworth, and he is being held in custody at the Talladega County Jail with no bond set in the case.
According to the release from Sylacauga Police Department, Speer is accused of being involved in the March 7 murder of 16-year-old Dallas Bee Johnson, also a resident of Sylacauga. Speer was interviewed by investigators and then transported to the Talladega County Jail to await his initial hearing.
Following his arrest, agents and investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence and carried out the search. Evidence collected during that search of the residence included firearms, which will be processed to determine if they are pertinent to the case.
Johnson, a 16-year-old freshman at Central High School, was reportedly shot to death while outside talking with friends in the Drew Court Housing area of Sylacauga. Police had responded to reports of gunshots, and when they arrived at the scene they found Johnson lying in the roadway.
He was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Central Alabama Crime Stoppers had announced that it was offering $1,000 for information leading to the identity of the suspect, and approximately a week after his death, Johnson’s family began offering an additional $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
According to earlier reports Johnson’s mother, Shirley Averette, said that her son was talking with friends when a vehicle drove by, and someone from inside the vehicle opened fire. The grieving mother said that she never expected her son to be killed in an act of violence, stating that he was a good child and that everyone loved him.
Those earlier reports also stated that Averette said she was unsure if the shooter was aiming for Johnson or if the individual was randomly shooting.
This is a capital murder case, and if convicted, Speer’s sentence could be death or life without the possibility of parole.
Per the Code of Alabama, capital murder offenses include “murder committed by or through the use of a deadly weapon fired or otherwise used within or from a vehicle.” Capital murder is a Class A felony, and is punishable by a potential 10-years to life sentence or a possible sentence of death.
According to the department’s press release, Sylacauga Police Department and Johnson’s family would like to thank everyone that helped in this case and extended a special thank you to those that came forward with information from the community that made this arrest possible.
This was at least the third fatal shooting to occur in the Drew Court Housing Complex this year, with there being one fatal shooting each month in January, February and March. The other two killed were 19-year-old Cameron Dontae Rogers and 34-year-old Devadney Sanchez Lauderdale, both of Sylacauga.
As of press time it was unknown whether Speer is a suspect in the other fatal shootings that occurred in the same area.
Anyone who has any information about any of these crimes is asked to call the Sylacauga PD tip line at 256-249-4716 or call Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-7867.
