On April 9, 2026, a Mobile County jury convicted Darius Janoski Lucky Jr. of capital murder for the December 2023 drive-by shooting that claimed the life of 9-year-old Cailee Knight. Cailee was asleep on a couch in her West Mobile home when multiple rounds were fired into the residence; she was struck in the head and killed instantly. Investigators determined that Cailee was an innocent bystander, as the shooters were allegedly targeting her 16-year-old brother in a retaliatory dispute over a stolen firearm.
Lucky was found guilty on two counts of capital murder: one for a murder committed via a drive-by shooting and another for the murder of a child under the age of 14. Because the prosecution did not seek the death penalty, Lucky faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His formal sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2026. During the trial, witness testimony and evidence from co-defendants identified Lucky as the gunman who fired the fatal shots from the vehicle.
The case involves four other suspects, two of whom—Amia Bantz and Ricki Thier—accepted plea deals for 20-year sentences in exchange for their testimony against Lucky. The remaining two defendants, Arieal Curry and Tyrone Williams, are still awaiting their own trials on capital murder charges. In the wake of the conviction, local leaders and Cailee’s family have advocated for “Cailee’s Law,” a proposed legislative effort aimed at increasing accountability and addressing the surge of gun violence affecting children in the community.