Crime
Clarke County Shooting: Three Dead, One Critically Injured in Apparent Murder-Suicide
CLARKE COUNTY, Ala. — The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office has released further details regarding a devastating domestic violence incident that left three individuals dead and one child seriously injured in an apparent double homicide-suicide.
In a formal news release, authorities identified the victims as 39-year-old Ashley Danielle Howell and her two children, 8-year-old Jayden Howell and 11-year-old Jayln Howell.
The suspected gunman, 43-year-old Edward Bernard Raine, was also found deceased at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Deputies responded to a home on Mary Aquilla Road in the Whatley community at approximately 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 6, after receiving a request for a welfare check.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered 11-year-old Jayln Howell suffering from a gunshot wound.
She was immediately transported to Grove Hill Hospital and later airlifted to a trauma center in Mobile, where she remains in serious condition.
Inside the residence, deputies located the bodies of Ashley Howell and her 8-year-old son, Jayden Howell. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
Edward Raine was found deceased nearby, with evidence indicating he died by suicide.
“This heartbreaking act of violence has deeply impacted our community,” a spokesperson for the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office stated. “Our hearts and prayers are with the family of Ashley Danielle Howell, and we are committed to seeking justice and answers through our ongoing investigation.”
The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office is working in collaboration with the Jackson, Grove Hill, and Thomasville police departments, as well as the First Judicial Major Crimes Task Force.
In response to the tragedy, the Clarke County School Board is providing grief counseling and support services to students and staff at the schools where the children attended.
“We ask the community to continue lifting Ashley’s surviving daughter in your prayers as she begins her road to recovery,” the release said. “Additionally, please remember the grieving family and neighbors who are navigating the aftermath of this unimaginable loss.”
The investigation remains active, and further updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.