The hunt for Desmonte Leonard is over, but the grief and pain of the three young men's deaths still rings through Auburn like the bells of Samford Hall.
Leonard, a Montgomery resident and the suspected gunman in the June 9 shooting at University Heights apartment, allegedly killed Auburn resident Demario Pitts and former Auburn football players Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian.
Leonard turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Tuesday, June 12, after his attorney Susan James arranged a deal that he would be taken in peacefully and without media coverage, James said in an interview with WSFA Montgomery.
James would not specify where Leonard was, but said she received word that Leonard wanted to turn himself in, according to the Associated Press.
James and her son picked Leonard up approximately 50 miles away from Montgomery, and at 7:57 p.m., U.S. Marshal Art Baylor, former Montgomery Police Chief, took him into custody at the state capital's federal courthouse.
"It needed to be resolved peacefully, so I reached out to Marshal Baylor and asked if he would be our point person," James told WSFA shortly after the arrest was made.
An hour later, Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson officially broke the news to Auburn in a press conference at the Auburn Police Division saying that Baylor was "instrumental in facilitating" Leonard's surrender.
"Marshall Baylor has a very high reputation in the Montgomery community," Dawson said Tuesday. "We wouldn't be here tonight announcing this if it wasn't for (him)."
The overall mood, however, was less than celebratory. The suspect had been caught, the search was over and the investigation was nearing completion.
And yet, Dawson reminded everyone that the capture of one man does not erase the murders of three others.
"It's a relief that we have him in custody, and we can wrap up loose ends and proceed, but in some sense... there is no relief, because those boys aren't coming home tonight," Dawson said.
When the arrest was announced, no toilet paper streamed from the branches of the Toomer's trees, and yet, like the trees, the city of Auburn can now begin the healing process.
"I know your young men won't be coming home, but hopefully this arrest gives you some kind of closure," Dawson said in a solemn address to the victims' families.
Leonard has been charged with three counts of capital murder and two counts of first degree assault, according to Dawson.
According to Alabama Code 13A - 5 - 40, Leonard was charged with capital murder for "murder wherein two or more persons are murdered by the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct," a fact confirmed by Captain Tom Stofer of the Auburn Police Department.
Dawson also said no bond will be posted for Leonard, and he is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday June 14 at the Lee County Courthouse.
THE SHOOTING
The triple homicide occurred at a party at the University Heights apartment complex on West Longleaf Drive on Saturday June 9.
At 10:03 p.m., Auburn Police received a call reporting gunshots in the area and raced through the rain-soaked streets of Auburn to the scene.
Also called in were the FBI, Lee County Sheriff's Department, Opelika Police Department, Montgomery Police Department and U.S. Marshals, among numerous other authorities.
"On the night of the event, we were in assistance mode with Auburn Police, basically offering any support we could," said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.
By the time they arrived, however, it was too late, and by Sunday morning, three leaves had fallen from the Auburn family tree.
Authorities said in the aftermath of an argument at what Auburn coach Gene Chizik called "a gathering to watch the NBA Playoffs," six Auburn residents were shot and three were killed.
Christian was found dead on arrival on the sidewalk just outside the front office, and Pitts and Phillips died early Sunday morning after being rushed to the East Alabama Medical Center.
Auburn resident Xavier Moss and Auburn sophomore offensive lineman Eric Mack were also taken to EAMC, but were released on Sunday.
John Robertson suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for treatment. His condition remains unknown, but Robertson is "fighting for his life," according to Dawson.
In an exclusive interview with his hometown newspaper The Times and Democrat, Mack said his concern for those around him was so great he didn't realize he had been shot.
"When I first found out I got shot, I didn't even really realize it," Mack said. "I was still walking around checking on my teammates making sure they were all right."
Mack was shot in the buttocks, according to the The Times and Democrat, but after he had checked on those around him, his next thoughts went to someone who wasn't at the scene: his 4-year-old daughter Kaliyah.
"I thought, 'If I don't make it home, who's going to take care of her?'" he told the The Times and Democrat.
Taylor Hilo, junior in sociology, was with Auburn football junior kicker Cody Parkey and junior linebacker Jake Holland when they heard the news.
"(We) were at Moe's and Cody got a text from the team manager and said Coach Chizik says all the players need to go home," Hilo said. "Ten minutes later, (defensive end) Corey Lemonier texted Cody and said there was a shooting at University Heights and Ed Christian was dead."
Chizik addressed the media for the first time Tuesday, June 12 and said they knew about the shooting soon after it occurred.
"At that moment my first concern was that everyone on the football team along with anybody else that was anywhere near the incident was safe," Chizik said.
Richard Trammell, junior in theatre, has lived in University Heights for almost a year and was friends with Phillips at Handley High School in Roanoke.
"(Phillips) was a cool guy, he stayed out of trouble... (and) was one of those kinds of people who made friends with everybody," Trammell said. "I can't wrap my head around that this could happen at my apartment complex."
Phillips's coach at Handley, coach Mike Battles, said he got a call from Chizik early Sunday morning.
"The initial reaction is shock," Battle said. "It's just senseless disregard for life."
Once the crime scene was under control, authorities then began the search for the suspect, but he had already fled, and the only trace of the suspect was a white Chevrolet Caprice abandoned on the side of Wire Road in Macon County, according to Dawson.
It wasn't until a Sunday press conference that Dawson gave a name to the alleged triggerman: Desmonte Leonard.
THE CHASE
After local authorities launched what Dawson labeled an "active manhunt," they arrested Jeremy Thomas, 18, and Gabriel Thomas, 41, for first degree hindering prosecution.
Jeremy, who has a previous gun-related criminal record and is out on bond for manslaughter of a 14-year-old girl last year, allegedly fled Auburn with Leonard.
Jeremy was set to go to trial for the manslaughter on Monday June 18, a week after his arrest.
Gabriel was reportedly in contact with Leonard and provided authorities with false information to help the two escape, although it is unknown whether or not he and Jeremy are related.
Meanwhile, authorities concentrated their search efforts on Leonard's last known residence: Montgomery.
As police scoured the city for Leonard, a source tipped the local police that Leonard was hiding in a home on Barons Court in East Montgomery Monday afternoon.
Police received a 911 call that Leonard was in the area from a man who reportedly dropped him off there. Soon after, the resident of the house called 911 reporting that a man who looked like Leonard was sitting on her couch.
But the tips proved fruitless, and hours of laying siege to the residence with teargas and thermal probes yielded no results: Leonard was still a free man.
Leonard surrendered the next day, but Dawson said whether he turned himself in or not, his capture was inevitable.
"You can't run but so long," Dawson said after his surrender. "We were going to pursue him until we caught him... (and) we wouldn't have stopped."
Even though the footwork for the authorities has ended, the paperwork begins for one of the largest cases in recent Auburn history.
"This is a capital murder case... the work, in a sense, has just begun," Dawson said. "We have a lot of things to tie up."
Leonard has a previous criminal record, as well after being found in a stolen vehicle with a gun and no permit in 2008.
He was also charged with assault in 2009 after shooting a 16-year-old in the groin, but was released after the victim said Leonard was not the shooter.
Still, Dawson showed some sympathy for Leonard's family after his apprehension.
"You know, Mr. Leonard's got a mama, and I'm sure she's grieving just as well, because, in a sense, she's lost a son," Dawson said. "I know he shouldn't have did what he did, but everybody's got a mama, and your mama always loves you."
THE AFTERMATH
In the wake of the shooting, myriad questions were asked as media and citizens alike tried t get answers to a case that did not have much public evidence available.
However, as the questions began to turn towards the effect of this on Auburn's football team, Dawson quickly dismissed the football team as the spotlight of the murders.
"It's not just about the football players, but it's about the other young men," Dawson said Sunday. "The only connection the Auburn football team has to this is that they are victims of a brutal murder."
Chizik reiterated this to the media Tuesday saying that, at this point, his only concerns are for the emotional well-being of the football team, the six victims and their families.
"I'm not worried about football, I don't care about the football season," Chizik said.
Several Auburn players were scheduled to speak at the conference, but later declined to speak.
"Several young men that we have are not ready to do this, I'm not ready to do this, but that is part of my job," Chizik said.
And yet, while this abrupt theft of three young lives was not about the football team, it took extensive teamwork to apprehend the fugitive.
"This is probably the greatest effort I've ever seen amongst law enforcement and ... it really says something about this community and what we have here in Alabama," Dawson said.
"It was a team effort," said Montgomery Police Chief Kevin Murphy in agreement. "Dawson called me late Saturday night and we stopped what we were doing and went to his assistance, which is what we should all do in a law enforcement family."
Murphy continued to praise the Auburn police force saying Tuesday that they are "one of the finest in the country."
In addition to a cohesive effort by all law enforcement involved, Dawson said the unity of the community made the operation a success.
"Community support has been unbelievable over the past few days, (and) we would not be where we're at without the support of our community," Dawson said.
Support, family, community.
These are the words most often heard throughout the aftermath of the shooting, and these are the values that embody the Auburn way.
As students lay wreaths in memorial of the victims and hold candlelight vigils for those who were lost, Dawson's words still linger in the Auburn summer air.
"We'll never forget the victims in this case, (and) we'll never forget what happened last Saturday night," Dawson said.
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