‘Miracles can happen’: Classmates pray for girl they believe was hurt in Alabama bonfire shooting
By Ayron Lewallen
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CLEVELAND, Alabama (WVTM) — A group of Cleveland High School students joined in prayer on Sunday to lift up one of their own. This comes after they believe Kimber Mills was hurt early Sunday morning at a bonfire in Pinson.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said others were also injured. Steven Whitehead is now charged with murder and is in jail without bond in connection to the shooting. The sheriff’s office hasn’t released the names of the victims, but her classmates told WVTM 13 they’re keeping Mills’ family in their thoughts and prayers.
“Miracles can happen, and it’s all in the will of God right now and not in anybody else’s hands,” Mills’ Jackson Davis said.
Many students in the small, intimate crosswalk student ministry bible study called Mills a light in their tight-knit community. Mills is a dedicated member of the cheerleading and football teams.
“Every time you see her in the hallway, you just make your day better,” Cohen Dawson, a classmate of Mills, said. “You can just start up a conversation with her, no matter what. It was always just a delight to talk to her.”
They said they can’t understand why this happened, but they’re leaning on each other and their faith in God and praying for her recovery.
“It’s not something you want to hear when you first wake up in the morning,” Darby Callahan, one of Mills’ classmates, said. “It’s not the way you want to start your day, hearing that one of your classmates or teammates or something has gone through something so horrible.”
They can’t understand why she was caught in the middle of the shooting.
“Hearing the word of God about her and all that, it’s just a sign that he’s going to help her,” Adelina Stephens said, “and He’s got this.”
Now, the students are leaning on each other and praying for God to heal the girl who means so much to everyone.
“She’s the type of person to, if you run out of money and you don’t have enough, she’ll definitely give you money,” Kyle Torbert, who said he knows Mills personally, said. “If you don’t have something, she’ll give you something. She’s just the type of person to — if you’re sad, she’ll give you the love that you need. If you need a hug, she’ll give you a hug.”
The Cleveland community is coming together on Monday to pray for those involved in the shooting. There will be a prayer at the Cleveland High School flagpole at 7:15 a.m. Then, at 6 p.m., there will be a prayer at the football stadium.
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