An Alabama man claims he shot his wife and four children because “television told him to kill his family,” an agent testifies

An Alabama man charged in the July 18 shooting deaths of his wife and four children – including two of his own – admitted the killings to investigators shortly after the massacre.

“He said the television told him to kill his family and he said something about cell towers,” ALEA State Bureau of Investigation agent Ivy Hornsby testified Thursday in a Bibb County courtroom.

The agent’s statement came during a preliminary hearing for 32-year-old Brandon Allan Kendrick II, who is charged with five counts of murder.

The indictment includes four counts of murder of a child under 14 years of age and one count of murder of two or more people in a single act.

Killed were Brandon Kendrick’s wife of six years, 24-year-old Kelse Kendrick, and their two children, Kaleb Kendrick, 6, and Kynli Kendrick, 2.

The other victims were the couple’s niece and nephew, Haley Daniels, 6, and Colton Daniels, who was killed just days before his 9th birthday.

Kendrick, whose grandfather is the longtime pastor of Oasis of Praise Church in Bessemer, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness or defect.

Testimony revealed that all five victims had been shot in the head, and Hornsby then explained where each victim was found. The shocking statement brought tears from family members.

After the hearing, District Judge Marvin Wiggins sent the case to a Bibb County grand jury for indictment consideration.

Kendrick, whose hands and feet were shackled, did not speak during the hearing. He seemed focused on what was happening, but occasionally glanced to his left, where several rows of victims’ family members were sitting.

Kendrick’s mother and sister were in the courtroom but sat with the victims’ families. During Hornsby’s testimony, several cried quietly.

The shooting occurred at Pastor Kendrick’s home. His grandson and family lived in the garage apartment on the property in West Blocton.

The large, close-knit family had gathered that day at the home of Bill Morrow, Kelse Kendrick’s grandfather, for a pool party to celebrate Colton.

Brandon Kendrick didn’t attend Colton’s party.

As the family previously announced, the plan was for Kelse Kendrick and all four children to spend the night at Morrow’s house after the party.

Jessica Morrow, Haley and Colton’s mother, had surgery scheduled for the next day. Kelse Kendrick kept the children because Morrow had to be at the hospital early Friday morning.

Brandon Kendrick repeatedly called his wife and asked her to come home.

Ultimately, Kelse Kendrick agreed to return home. Morrow took Kelse Kendrick and the four children back to the garage apartment.

Hornsby testified that the 911 call about the mass shooting came in at 8:18 p.m. that Thursday. He said he arrived at the scene around 10:30 p.m. and described what he saw when he arrived.

Dozens of police officers from various agencies had erected a large fence and cordoned off the house.

The investigator said the first victim he encountered was Kelse Kendrick, who lay dead in an ambulance on the family’s property. She had been shot in the back of the head.

Hornsby said he then went to the garage apartment where he found Kaleb dead on the sidewalk. Caleb had been shot in the head, specifically his right eye.

Next, he went into the apartment where he saw 8-year-old Colton lying on the floor between the front door and the television. Colton also died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Two-year-old Kynli was found between a bed and a couch. She had been shot twice in the head.

Haley had already been taken to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. Hornsby said she was either en route or died shortly after arrival.

Investigators recovered seven spent cartridge cases at the scene.

Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones is prosecuting the case.

Kendrick is represented by Birmingham lawyers Maston Evans, Wakisha Hazzard and Tacara Sabir.

Evans asked Hornsby after his interview with Kendrick after the shooting.

“He didn’t want to elaborate but said he shot his wife, his children and his niece and nephew,” Horsby said.

Hornsby told Evans that Kendrick did not appear to be under the influence of any substance.

Evans asked Hornsby if he had further investigated Kendrick’s 911 call earlier in the day, when Evans said his client reported he was having a nervous breakdown.

Hornsby said he was aware of the call but did not investigate it further.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys and the victims’ family members all declined to comment after the hearing.

Kendrick remains held without bail.

Pastor Kendrick told his congregation what happened three days after the shooting.

“Ten minutes before I heard a gunshot, my grandson was sitting in my bedroom with me and Gay, laughing, talking and talking about the first time we took him to a restaurant for his 13th birthday,” Pastor Kendrick said. “He’s never been to a restaurant.”

The elder Kendrick has claimed his grandson suffers from mental illness and said the system has failed him.

Pastor Kendrick said Brandon Kendrick called 911 in the early morning hours of that Thursday asking for help, “only to be turned away,” he said.

“In the bedroom, Gay and I talked about the J. Alexanders lunch we took him to and a few other things. “We laughed and talked,” said the priest. “His wife had come home. She came in, laughed with us for a while and left.”

“He (Brandon) got up 10 minutes later saying ‘Pow,'” Pastor Kendrick said.

“I said to Gay, ‘That’s a shot,'” he said. “That’s what she said.”

Moments later, Brandon Kendrick entered the bedroom with a gun in his hand. Gay Kendrick was the closest person to him.

“She grabbed the gun. “It started,” Pastor Kendrick said. “I don’t know how it stopped her from meeting her.”