In a poignant display of community grief and respect, hundreds gathered in the corridors of an Alabama hospital to bid farewell to a young cheerleader who had been tragically wounded. Kimber Mills, an 18-year-old from Cleveland, was shot near a highway close to Palmerdale, along with three others, on Saturday evening.
After being declared brain dead, Mills was prepared for a final surgery to become an organ donor. On Tuesday night, she was given an honor walk through UAB Hospital, a solemn procession that marked her journey to the operating room. This emotional tribute was captured in footage showing the hallways lined with people, each touched by Mills’ story and offering a final salute.
The hospital corridors seemed to stretch endlessly as Mills, surrounded by family, friends, and soft toys, was wheeled through. Many of those gathered were visibly moved, tears streaming down their faces, a testament to the young life that had touched so many.
Mills’ family shared that the prognosis had been grim from the start. The severity of her injuries, sustained to the head and leg, left doctors with little hope for her recovery. Yet, in her passing, Mills offered the gift of life to others, underscoring the profound impact one person can have on a community.
The lines of people seemed almost endless as she passed through the hospital, many of those who gathered had tears in their eyes.
Her family said doctors had told them her injuries were so severe she would not survive after she suffered gunshot wounds to the head and leg on Saturday night.
The Daily Mail spoke with her sister Ashley Mills who said her heart was donated to a seven-year-old boy in Ohio and her lungs went to a woman in New York.
‘We feel grateful she was able to live on, she loved everyone. We are so grateful that she had a huge impact on peoples lives’, Ashley said.
The lines of people seemed almost endless as she passed through the hospital, many of those who gathered had tears in their eyes
Mills, 18, of Cleveland, was one of four people who were hit with bullets close to a highway near Palmerdale on Saturday
Speaking at a vigil held at her high school Monday night, Ashley added: ‘We shouldn’t be burying our little sister.
‘It should be the other way around. It’s supposed to go from oldest to youngest not youngest first.
Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, was charged with Kimber’s attempted murder
‘She wanted to do things that I wanted to that I wasn’t able to, like be a nurse, help people and that’s exactly what she was trying to do that night… just help.’
Steven Tyler Whitehead, 27, was arrested following the shooting and was charged with three counts of attempted murder, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The group were shot after a fight allegedly broke out. Kimber’s family says she did not know Whitehead.
Ashley told WBRC: ‘He was trying to hit on a girl there and give her things that she didn’t want,’ in an apparent reference to a spiked drink.
‘We hope he gets what he deserves,’ she added.
The shooting happened on a patch of private property known as ‘the pit’ where local teenagers gather to hang out and listen to music.
The Daily Mail spoke with her sister Ashley Mills who said her heart was donated to a seven-year-old boy in Ohio and her lungs went to a woman in New York
Kimber was a well-liked cheerleader at Cleveland High School who aspired to become a nurse, her sister Ashley said
A huge vigil was held for Kimber on the field of her high school on Monday evening, as family and friends prepare to say goodbye
Silas McCay, 21, was also shot at the party but managed to get up and walk behind Mills as she was wheeled into surgery, his brother told CBS.
‘It was emotional,’ Shane McCay said. ‘As soon as she turned that corner, the whole hallway crying. You can tell she was really loved by the whole community.’
Shane added that his brother is ‘doing pretty well.’ ‘He got shot ten times and he’s already up out of bed walking.’ Another shooting victim remains in hospital.
Dispatch recordings obtained by ABC3340 described a young woman who had been shot in the head.
A GoFundMe page initially set up to raise cash for Kimber will reportedly be also used to help the other victims of the shooting.
