Police charge Alabama man with shooting, killing 13-month-old girl

Published 2:31 pm Monday, October 4, 2021

An east Alabama man charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a 13-month-old girl also is being charged with marijuana possession, police said.

Police were called to an apartment complex on Saturday afternoon and found the child suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso, authorities said. The girl was rushed to a hospital emergency room but died less than an hour later, the coroner said.

Michael A. Thomas, 33, was arrested on a manslaughter charge, police said. He also was charged with possession of marijuana, controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.

Authorities have not released details about the shooting, and it’s unclear whether the man had any relation to the child, whose name was released immediately.

Court records weren’t available Monday to show whether Thomas had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. He was held at the Lee County Jail with bail set at $33,500.