Alabama Mass Shooting: Four Dead, 28 Injured at Birthday Party
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell was celebrating at his sister’s party before he was shot and killed, according to his grandmother Annette Allen.
A shooting in Alabama killed four people, including a rising American football star.
Officials report that some of the additional 28 injured are in critical condition.
At a 16th birthday party in Dadeville, Tallapoosa County, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Montgomery, Alabama, the incident occurred late Saturday evening.
The gunman was no longer a threat to the community, but it was unclear if he was arrested.
Jeremy Burkett, a sergeant with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, stated, “We will continue to work in a very methodical manner to investigate the crime scene, examine the facts, and ensure that justice is served for the families.”
A football player who had just signed with Jacksonville State University was among those killed.
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell was celebrating at his sister’s party before he was fatally shot, according to his grandmother Annette Allen.
“He was an exceptionally humble child. Never caused trouble for anyone. Always had a smile on his face, Ms. Allen told the newspaper, calling it a “million-dollar smile.”
He had received offers from multiple universities, but on 1 February he proudly announced his intention to attend Jacksonville.
The high school senior’s loss “heartbroken” Jax State University football coach Rich Rodriguez.
Mrs. Dowdell was also injured in the shooting.
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Mr. Burkett confirmed at an earlier news briefing that the shooting was “related to a birthday party” and urged community members with information to come forward.
“Four lives, not fatalities, were lost in this incident,” he said, in addition to a “vast number of injuries.”
“We will continue to work through this scene in a very methodical manner to examine the facts and ensure that the families receive justice. We will do so,” he continued.
Frank Goodman, the mayor of Dadeville, described the scene at a nearby hospital as “chaotic.”
“Individuals were moving about. “They were sobbing and wailing,” he stated. “There were police cars and ambulances on every street corner. People sought information about their loved ones. This was a scene that had never occurred in our city before.
Superintendent Raymond Porter added that students will receive counseling services at school on Monday.
“We won’t lose sight of the fact that these children are the ones most affected by this situation,” he stated.
President Joe Biden asked in a statement, “What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?”
He added that gun violence in the United States is “outrageous and unacceptable” and urged members of Congress to pass legislation that could shift liability to arms manufacturers, ban assault weapons, require safe gun storage, and expand background checks.
WRBL-TV showed crime scene tape, police, and a dance studio where the assault occurred.
Pastor Ben Hayes, the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and the local high school football team, stated that the majority of the victims are young because the shooting occurred at a birthday party for a teenager.
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He called one victim a “great guy” and said the shooting shook a small town with few serious crimes.
“I knew many of these students,” he declared. “Dadeville is a small town, and this will affect everyone in the surrounding area.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reported a Saturday night shooting at 10:30 p.m. but did not provide a motive.
The FBI, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Fifth Circuit District Attorney’s Office were also at the scene and assisting with the investigation.
Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama released the following statement: “This morning, I mourn with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians.
“Violent crime has no place in our state, and law enforcement is keeping us informed as details emerge.”
Dadeville is a small city with roughly 3,000 inhabitants.
At least twice in recent years, multiple individuals have been shot in Dadeville. Five people were shot at an American Legion hall in July 2016, and a man was charged with five counts of attempted murder.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 162 mass shootings in the United States in 2018.
The Dadeville shooting occurred within weeks of two notable mass shootings in neighboring states Tennessee and Kentucky, which prompted local leaders to call for stricter gun control measures last week.
Monday at his workplace in Louisville, a bank employee fatally shot five coworkers and wounded nine others.
A former student at a Nashville private Christian school killed three nine-year-olds and three staff members on March 27th.
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