CLARKE COUNTY, AL – A rural Alabama community is grieving after a devastating act of domestic violence left a mother and her child dead, a young girl fighting for her life, and the gunman dead from a self-inflicted wound.
According to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 8:00 a.m. on April 2, 2025, to conduct a welfare check at a residence on Mary Aquilla Road. What they found inside the home was a scene of unimaginable heartbreak.
Ashley Howell, a 39-year-old mother of two, was discovered with a gunshot wound and was airlifted by LifeFlight to a trauma center in Mobile. Her 8-year-old son, Jayden, was also found in the home, fatally shot. Her 11-year-old daughter, Jalyn, was found clinging to life and was rushed to Grove Hospital, then transferred to Mobile for trauma care.
The suspected shooter, 43-year-old Edward Raine, was also found inside the home. Authorities say he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Although doctors worked to save her life, sadly, Ashley Howell, a well-known, beloved, and devoted mother in the community, was pronounced dead. The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office has asked the public to keep the family in their thoughts as they navigate the aftermath of this horrific tragedy.
A GoFundMe has been established to support the family during this difficult time:
🔗 Stand with Peggy Howell – Tragic Loss
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for confidential support.
For updates and ongoing public awareness, visit The Vivid Faces of the Vanished on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVividFacesoftheVanished/.
