Mandel Pearson

In a press conference held Monday, January 16, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation agent Jason Ward confirmed that one person is dead and four others were injured in a shooting early Sunday morning at the Eutaw National Guard Armory. The armory was being rented out for a social event by the Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club and Greene County Deputy LaJeffery Carpenter. The Sin City Deciples have bases in Birmingham and Anniston.
The ABI said the shooting took place just before 1:30 Sunday morning at the National Guard Armory. Investigators recovered about 100 shell casings in the parking lot of the armory where the Sin City Deciples MC sponsored an event Saturday night. Other motorcycle clubs present at the social included the Show Stoppers MC which has a base in Birmingham.
The person killed in the shooting has been identified as 36-year-old Mandel Pearson of Anniston, AL.
According to Eutaw Police Chief Derick Coleman an argument started inside the building before those involved moved outside. That’s when the shootings happened. The victims were first brought to Greene County Hospital emergency room and stabilized. Two of the victims were then airlifted by helicopter to UAB with life-threatening injuries, and two others were transported by ambulance to DCH with non-life threatening injuries.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says among the injured was an off duty Greene County Deputy, LaJeffery Carpenter, who suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Members of the Showstoppers Motor Club were also present at the social event at the armory.

This club, based in Avondale, AL, was founded in 2002 and members wear red and black with a jester logo.
Eutaw Mayor Raymond Steele stated that it is always sad to lose a life by violence. “The city sends its condolences to the family of the man killed and lifts prayers for all the those injured,” he said. Mayor Steele also remarked that there has never been such an unfortunate incident as this at the armory facility.
“ I plead with young people in particular to put down your weapons. Deal with your disagreements in non-violent ways. Try to resolve your differences without weapons.,” Steele said.
According to Wikipedia, Sin City Deciples is a “one-percenter” outlaw motorcycle club that started in Gary, Indiana in 1966. Sin City prides itself on being open to all men, regardless of race or color. But most importantly is known for its historical roots as a club that was founded by and started as an African American Club, but allowed membership of all races of men that meet its strict guidelines to join…thus for breaking the mold of the historical 1% outlaw tradition of racism.
Outlaw bikers refer to their organizations as “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs (MC) rather than gangs. The term “one-percenter” originated from a statement made by the American Motorcycle Association in response to a motorcycle rally held in 1947 in Hollister, California, that turned violent. The American Motorcycle Association stated: “99% of the motorcycling public are law-abiding; there are 1% who are not.” Outlaw (or one percenter) can mean merely that the club is not chartered under the auspices of the American Motorcyclist Association, implying a radical rejection of authority.
The clubs are also known for serving a large number of charity organizations.
A high percentage of military veterans have joined the club, as well as doctors, lawyers, and other corporate Americans. As with any 1% outlaw club there is much secrecy surrounding members, and its requirements to join. However it has been noted that the brotherhood of the Sin City Deciples is one of the tightest knit outlaw motorcycle clubs in existence, making Sin City have a great deal of mystic around its exact numbers and requirements
Members are required to ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and pride themselves on the tight knit brotherhood and unity they have developed over years, and decades of riding with each other from state to state. With charters that span from coast to coast, and active charters in almost every state in the United States and in Europe, they are one of the oldest and largest outlaw clubs in existence. Exact membership is unknown, however it has been rumored that they have thousands of active members.