17-year-old fatally shot in iPhone robbery, Alabama cops say. 2 brothers charged

Two brothers are accused of fatally shooting a 17-year-old boy during a robbery, Alabama police said.

Authorities responded to the shooting at about 7 p.m. Friday, April 4, in a modest residential area of Montgomery, police said in an April 8 news release.

The Montgomery Police Department said the teen, identified as Zaveon Simpkins, was found with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead there.

A pair of brothers — 19-year-old Christopher Kelly and 18-year-old Christian Kelly — were arrested April 8 and charged with capital murder and first-degree robbery in connection with the shooting, police said.

According to court records, the brothers are accused of taking $500 and an iPhone, WSFA and WAKA reported. Simpkins was with another teen at the time of the robbery, according to the news reports.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Natalie Demaree

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Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas.