Crime
19-Year-Old Keshawn Jermichael Woods Arrested and Charged with Capital Murder After Fatal Shooting of Two Sisters, Teen Injured in Tuscaloosa
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Authorities in Tuscaloosa are investigating a tragic shooting that claimed the lives of two sisters and left another teenager injured late Monday night at the Woodlawn Manor Apartments.
According to Captain Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, officers responded to reports of gunfire at approximately 11:30 p.m. in the 1st Avenue area of Woodlawn Manor.
Upon arrival, police discovered two female victims—identified as 20-year-old Kaliyah Houston and her 16-year-old sister—who had both sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
A 17-year-old male was also shot but managed to escape the apartment and seek help. He was later transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive.
Investigators identified 19-year-old Keshawn Jermichael Woods as the suspect in the shooting.
Authorities stated that Woods had been staying at Houston’s apartment for several months prior to the incident.
Preliminary findings suggest that an argument erupted inside the apartment on Monday night, during which Woods allegedly retrieved a firearm and began shooting.
Several young children, including an infant, were present in the apartment at the time of the shooting but were unharmed, according to officials.
Following the attack, Woods reportedly fled the scene on foot. A few hours later, he was located and arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force.
Woods has been charged with two counts of Capital Murder and one count of Attempted Murder. He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail and is being held without bond.
Captain Kennedy confirmed that the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit is leading the investigation and noted that additional details may be released as the case progresses.
“This was a deeply tragic event that claimed two young lives and impacted an entire family,” Kennedy said. “Our investigators are committed to ensuring justice for the victims and their loved ones.”
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.