The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed that a total of 32 people were affected by a shooting that occurred during a birthday party celebration in Dadeville on Saturday night.
Among them, four individuals tragically lost their lives, and 28 others were injured, some of them critically. Sergeant Jeremy Burkett urged the public to provide any information they may have to assist the investigation.
The authorities are still in the process of determining the motive and identity of the perpetrator, and no suspect is currently in custody.
Alabama Shooting at Sweet 16 Party
On Monday, Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville treated a total of fifteen patients who had sustained gunshot wounds, as per Heidi Smith, the hospital's spokesperson.
According to CBS, among these patients, five teenagers were in critical condition and were transferred to other hospitals for further medical attention.
Another four teenagers were also transferred to different hospitals, while six patients were discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.
The Tallapoosa County Coroner, Mike Knox, provided the names of the four victims who lost their lives in the shooting.
They were identified by CNN as Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, Philstavious Dowdell, and Shaunkivia (KeKe) Nicole Smith. Of the victims, Philstavious Dowdell was a senior at Dadeville High School.
The shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. as confirmed by Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the ALEA. However, there is no information about what led to the shooting.
The situation was described as fluid by Burkett, who also stated that the authorities are still investigating the details of the shooting and will not rush to any conclusions.
During a brief news conference, law enforcement officials did not provide any answers to the questions posed by reporters.
They did not confirm whether any suspects had been taken into custody or provide any other details regarding the incident.
The investigation into the matter is still ongoing, and more information is expected to be released as it becomes available.
Dadeville Shooting Victims
According to the Associated Press, the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and local high school football team, Pastor Ben Hayes, has confirmed that the majority of the victims in the shooting are teenagers.
This is because the incident occurred at a birthday party for a 16-year-old, held at a dance studio. The crime scene was taped off, and the area was heavily patrolled by police.
During the shooting at the birthday party, Philstavious Dowdell, a senior at Dadeville High School who had already committed to Jacksonville State University to play football, was among those killed.
He was celebrating his sister's 16th birthday with his family when the tragedy occurred. Unfortunately, Dowdell's mother was also hurt during the incident.
The DJ at the party, Keenan Cooper, stated that the attendees heard that someone had a gun, and the party was briefly stopped.
Cooper said that individuals with guns were asked to leave, but no one did. Later on, when the shooting started, some people hid under a table where Cooper was standing, while others fled.
Dadeville is now one of the many cities in mourning across the country.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to the victims' families and urged Congress to come to a consensus on gun control legislation.
The pain and suffering experienced in Dadeville are unfortunately all too familiar to many communities nationwide.