Capital murder charges filed in Alabama in shooting death of Atlanta young woman
Rogers McCloud, Jr. (Montgomery County Sheriff's Office)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Investigators filed capital murder charges on Friday against a man in the shooting death of a 21-year-old Alabama State University student from Atlanta.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested 20-year-old Rogers McCloud, Jr. for the March 27 shooting death of 21-year-old Gennia Grimes.
McCloud is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Detention Facility.
PREVIOUSLY: Alabama State University student Ginnia Grimes' shooting death under investigation
What we know:
The investigation started on March 27 when the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting call on Highway 80 East in the Waugh community of Pike Road.
Medics treated the young woman at the scene and airlifted her to a hospital in critical condition. She died a short time later.
What they're saying:
In announcing the arrest, the Sheriff’s Office called the killing a case of domestic violence.
Assistant Chief Wesley Richerson said, "To protect the integrity of the case, we have not publicly discussed the details of this investigation. However, please do not confuse our silence with inaction. We have been meticulously working to gather evidence and to determine the facts surrounding Gennia’s death. Sheriff’s Office Investigators, Crime Scene Technicians, and Criminal Analyst have worked diligently over the past week to ensure the truth was exposed, and the suspect was arrested for this terrible crime."
Family members tell FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor McCloud was the father of Grimes’ young son, Rogers McCloud III, who was born last year. She headed back to school after his birth to earn her degree from Alabama State.
The backstory:
Grimes was a 2021 graduate of Mays High School in SW Atlanta. One of her dance videos went viral while at Mays and was featured on Access Hollywood.
Her dancing stage names were "Strawberry" and "Purple doll".
Grimes believed she would one day be famous, likely from her show-stopping dance moves.
Alabama State student's death under investigation
A southwest Atlanta family is devastated by the death of their daughter. The Montgomery County Alabama Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into the death of Alabama State University student Gennia Grimes. Grimes was a proud member of the Alabama State University Honey Beez Dance Team.
What we don't know:
The sheriff’s office did not reveal a motive for the murder.
Gennia's mother told FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor, "My daughter did not deserve to die. My daughter was a superstar and everyone who knew her knew that. She knew she was a superstar, so she was going to become famous. She knew that."
The Grimes family has established a GoFundMe site to pay for her funeral.
What's next:
We don’t know when McCloud will make his first court appearance.
Gennia's funeral will be held April 12th at Antioch North Baptist Church at 11 a.m.
The Source: FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor spoke to the family of 21-year-old Gennia Grimes and investigators with the Montgomery County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office for this article. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.