Alabama man has surrendered in connection with the death of a TikTok star’s son
On Thursday, an Alabama man turned himself in to police in connection with the murder of the son of a well-known TikTok celebrity.
Online booking records from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office indicate that 20-year-old Reuben Thomas Gulley of Saraland has been charged with murder. Gulley is charged with murder in the June 24 shooting death of 18-year-old Randon Lee at a service station in Prichard.
Lee is the child of TikTok celebrity Ophelia Nichols, also known as shoelover99. Nearly 7 million of her admirers refer to her as “Mama Tot.”
On June 25th, Lee’s nineteenth birthday, he would have turned 19.
WKRG-TV reported that on June 24, Prichard police received a report from Lee’s family that he had been shot at a gas station.
At a press conference in late June, Prichard Police Department Detective Jason Hadaway said that Lee and a few suspects drove to the station in Prichard, a suburb of Mobile, at around 8 p.m. CDT with the intent of selling and distributing drugs, as reported.
According to Hadaway, a suspect got into Lee’s car and shot him.
As Lee, who had been shot, went to the Energize petrol station across the street for treatment, the suspect reportedly got back into their vehicle and drove off with the other suspects. The news outlet said his death occurred instantly.
Nichols posted on Facebook days after her son’s death, begging readers not to judge her son unfairly because of the way he died. Nothing could ever make us feel embarrassed about him.
“When I was 18, I made poor choices myself. I think of the person who did this to my son and have empathy for his family once they find out,” Nichols added. “Others may not think I should, but now there will be two families that are hurt and broken. It won’t just be mine.
“This person will be held accountable, I believe that. So I will hold my faith close and my family in times of despair. It’s all we have.”