Crime & Public Safety
Man pleads guilty in fatal May 2024 shooting on Darwood Drive in Mobile County
A 17-year-old was shot and died on Darwood Drive in Mobile shortly before 3:30 a.m. on May 7, 2024. Mobile police responded to reports of shots fired and located a bullet‑riddled vehicle; officers arrested Carl Mitchell Washington Jr., 22, within hours. Court records state the victim suffered nearly 20 gunshot wounds.
Prosecutors filed murder and related counts. Washington pleaded guilty to murder while jury selection was underway; a judge dismissed a separate charge of shooting into an occupied vehicle as part of the plea agreement and imposed a 25‑year prison sentence. The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office characterized the slaying as a “senseless murder.”
Victim identification and allegations are part of the record: the 17‑year‑old was born Brandon Thomas and later identified as female, going by the name Tayy. The victim’s mother has said the pair had a dating relationship and alleged Washington lured Tayy to Darwood Drive and shot them during an argument; those allegations are reported by the family and attributed to her. The Mobile County Public Defender’s Office represented Washington in the case.
The criminal case is resolved by the guilty plea and the imposed sentence as documented in court filings and statements by the county prosecutors and defense representation. No additional charges or appeals are reported in the supplied documentation.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.