An Alabama teenager who was released on bond after being charged with manslaughter on Thursday was seen posing with his sister for a picture later posted to social media.
Michael Jerome Barber, 17, was also charged with possessing a firearm illegally after he allegedly shot to death Courtlin Arrington at his high school on Wednesday.
Barber and his sister, Makiya, posed for the picture shortly after his apparent release from custody.
Barber (R) and his sister, Makiya (L), posed for the picture shortly after his apparent release from custody
‘Out the Big Ole Gate!!!!!,’ Makiya Barber wrote above the image uploaded to Facebook, with ‘Gate’ referring to the Jefferson County District Jail.
‘Y’all can stop the fake friend request now. God still gotta plan for the Kid!,’ she added.
Makiya Barber also stated below the picture in a message exchange with friends that the two went to McDonald’s after his release, with Michael lunching on a ‘Big Mac and Coke.’ Michael Barber can be seen grining in the picture and flashing two peace signs with his hands.
In an earlier post, Makiya appeared to lash out at individuals who were contacting her in the wake of her brother’s arrest.
‘Don’t nothing need to be explained to y’all fake wanna be detectives and news pages (more like gossip sites) the police have footage and facts, so the count down to see my brother is on!,’ she posted to her Facebook wall on Friday.
She added the hashtag #prayersforcourtlinfamily and #prayersforours at the bottom of the post.
Michael Jerome Barber (pistured), 17, is charged with manslaughter and possessing a firearm illegally after he allegedly shot to death Courtlin Arrington
Courtlin Arrington (Pictured) was described as friendly and well-liked and had aspirations of becoming a nurse
Authorities initially investigated the shooting at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, as accidental before they reviewed the security footage and filed charges.
Jefferson County District Attorney Michael Anderton said in a press statement on Friday that Barber was being charged for bringing ‘a pistol onto the campus of Huffman High School and recklessly causing the death of Miss Arrington.’
Anderton confirmed Barber was charged as an adult even though he is 17-years-old.
Barber is a Huffman junior and wide receiver on the school’s football team, according to Al.com.
Makiya Barber also stated below the picture in a message exchange with friends that the two went to McDonald’s after his release
‘The District Attorney’s Office has examined the investigation of the Birmingham Police Department and the evidence collected by BPD,’ Anderton said in a statement.
‘They have talked with many of the students in the school, in the classroom where the shooting took place and collected evidence from the scene.’
‘Our hearts go out to the family of Ms. Arrington, all of her friends and those whose lives would have been changed through her nursing dreams had this event not occurred,’ Anderton said.
‘This is a parent’s worst nightmare. We expect the charges will be heard through the court system and justice meted out to the person responsible.’
The school district confirmed metal detectors are at the Alabama high school but were not used that day.
They haven’t commented on why they were not used.
Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring said the school system was reviewing security measures and protocols that were in place Wednesday during the shooting.
‘We have not only heightened our procedures, but we are revamping and revisiting, with an extreme amount of urgency, those protocols, not just for Huffman High School, but for every single school in Birmingham,’ Herring said at a news conference Thursday.
Herring said Arrington, a senior who had aspirations to be a nurse, was a bright student ‘lost to senseless gun violence’.
‘She was friendly, energetic and well-liked by peers and teachers alike,’ Herring said.
The shooting took place as class was dismissing for the day, killing Arrington and injuring another student.
Authorities initially investigated the shooting at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, as accidental before they reviewed the security footage and filed charges