'American Idol' Singer Leroy Wells Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Multiple People

A former American Idol contestant is accused of shooting multiple people at a Mobile, Alabama recording studio on Dec. 12. Leroy Wells, who auditioned on American Idol in 2005, allegedly shot two victims and they suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The singer surrendered to authorities at Mobile County Metro Jail on Dec. 15.

Wells was recording at Kingdom Enterprises when he allegedly shot two unnamed victims at around 10:50 p.m. on Dec. 15, police said, reports AL.com. The victims were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for their injuries, Mobile police spokeswoman Officer Katrina Frazier said. Wells allegedly fired at the men when they arrived at the studio. He allegedly shot at them when they were still standing outside the studio.

Wells turned himself in on Dec. 15, reports Fox10 News. He was booked on second-degree assault, discharge of a gun in an occupied or unoccupied building/vehicle, and a felony probation violation, according to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office website. He is still in custody, according to the site.

The singer tried out for American Idol in 2005, appearing on the same season that ended with Carrie Underwood winning. Wells did not make it to the second round, but his audition made him a star thanks to his "Can you dig it?" expression. The judges also didn't understand anything he said as he tried to perform James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)." When his audition aired, he was in Mobile County Metro Jail because police accused him of shooting a man. He was later charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a man at a convenience store in 2004. Before the trial was scheduled to begin, he pleaded guilty to an assault charge.

In 2007, Wells was sentenced to almost four years in federal prison in Mobile as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Sheriff's deputies arrested him after he refused to stop his vehicle. Despite his legal problems, he was allowed to audition for American Idol again in 2014, even appearing in a Fox10 News segment in an effort to show he was a different person. His audition did not air that season.

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