Alabama shooting – live: Four dead, multiple injured at Dadeville birthday party
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, an honours student on his way to play Division 1 college football, was among the victims of a mass shooting at a party in Alabama on Saturday that left four dead and 28 injured.
“It was a very sad, sad scene,” Ben Hayes, senior pastor at Dadeville First Baptist Church and team chaplain of Dadeville High School, where Dowdell played multiple sports, told AL.com. “A very rough night.”
The party where the shooting took place was reportedly a birthday celebration for Dowdell’s sister at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville.
The teen, one of the best football players in the state, had recently committed to playing at Jacksonville State University. He was also an accomplished track runner and basketball player.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Philstavious Dowdell and the other victims of the senseless tragedy last night,” Jacksonville head football coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has not yet announced any arrests.
Key Points
Student bound for Division 1 football career among victims of Alabama party shooting
Joe Biden briefed following Dadeville shooting, White House confirms
Dance studio had been preparing to celebrate its two-year anniversary on 29 April
Dadeville community doing ‘our best to cope with it’, says mayor
Student bound for Division 1 football career among victims of Alabama party shooting
Sunday 16 April 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, an honours student on his way to play Division 1 college football, was among the victims of a mass shooting at a party in Alabama on Saturday that left four dead, according to a local pastor.
“It was a very sad, sad scene,” Ben Hayes, senior pastor at Dadeville First Baptist Church and team chaplain of Dadeville High School, where Dowdell played multiple sports, told AL.com. “A very rough night.”
The party where the shooting took place was reportedly a birthday celebration for Dowdell’s sister, according to the website.
The teen, one of the best football players in the state, had recently committed to playing at Jacksonville State University. He was also an accomplished track runner and basketball player.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Philstavious Dowdell and the other victims of the senseless tragedy last night,” Jacksonville head football coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement. “He was a great young man with a bright future. My staff and I are heartbroken and hope that everyone will support his family through this difficult time.”
My colleague Josh Marcus has the full story:
Student bound for Division 1 football career among victims of Alabama party shooting
Dadeville holds vigil for victims of shooting
04:41 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Community members in Dadeville yesterday participated in a vigil to remember the four people killed and 28 others injured in a mass shooting at a teen’s birthday.
“Philstavious Dowdell is my best friend,” a Dadeville High student told WVTM. “I’m just devastated by what happened.”
Dadeville High teacher and coach Mardracus Russell said his sister is a nurse with the East Alabama Medical Center.
“And she called me and told me that she thinks that a young man that I had posted on my Facebook from when we went to a Detroit University meet on Friday, she thinks that he had been killed. And it was just a devastating moment.”
Guns are the leading killer of children in America, says Biden
04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting, the White House said, adding that it is closely monitoring the situation and has been in touch with local officials.
“What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear? When parents have to worry every time their kids walk out the door to school, to the movie theater, or to the park?” president Biden said in a statement yesterday.
“Guns are the leading killer of children in America, and the numbers are rising - not declining. This is outrageous and unacceptable.”
The president called on Congress to “require safe storage of firearms, require background checks for all gun sales, eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
‘It was chaotic’, says Dadeville Mayor Frank Goodman of mass shooting
03:00 , Josh Marcus
Dadeville Mayor Frank Goodman said he was in bed asleep when a council member called him just before 23:00 on Saturday, The Associated Press reports. He said he went to Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville, where some of the people who had been shot were taken.“It was chaotic,” Goodman said. “There were people running around. They were crying and screaming. There were police cars everywhere, there were ambulances everywhere. People were trying to find out about their loved ones. That was a scene, where we never had anything like this happen in our city before.”
More than 12 hours after the mass shooting, investigators were continuing to work the scene at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, where a bullet hole could be seen pierced through one of the exterior windows.
Less than a block away, the American and Alabama flags were lowered to half-mast outside the Tallapoosa County Courthouse.
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell ‘always had a smile on his face’, grandmother says
01:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville High School senior who had committed to Jacksonville State University, was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ party before he was shot to death, his grandmother Annette Allen told The Montgomery Advertiser.“He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Ms Allen told the newspaper, calling it “a million-dollar smile.”
Dowdell’s mother was among those hurt in the shooting, The Associated Press reports.
“Everybody’s grieving,” Allen said.
Alabama has ‘weak’ gun laws
Monday 17 April 2023 00:00 , Josh Marcus
Police have not yet described how the individual responsible for the Alabama shooting got their hands on a weapon.
In general, though, the state has a “weak set of gun safety protections,” according to Everytown for Gun Safety, an anti-gun violence advocacy group.
This January, it became legal in Alabama to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, meaning most people older than 18 can posess a gun without a license.
So-called “permitless carry” laws are spreading across the US.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Tennessee is among half of US states with permitless concealed carry law
‘This is also a very fluid situation’, Sergeant Burkett tells news conference
Sunday 16 April 2023 23:34 , Eleanor Noyce
“Four lives were lost in the tragic event that occurred here in Dadeville. As far as the injuries, there are 28 individuals that were injured during the course of the incident”, Sergeant Burkett told a news conference on Sunday evening.
“Now, some of those injuries are critical.
“This is also a very fluid situation. We have been getting continuous updates throughout the day. We are absolutely trying to confirm and understand everyone that was in the venue.”
Officials urge public to come forward with information, with reward offered
Sunday 16 April 2023 23:25 , Eleanor Noyce
Law enforcement officials are urging the public to come forward with information following a mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama on Saturday night.
In a news conference held on Sunday evening, Sergeant Burkett confirmed that Central Alabama Crimestoppers has offered a reward for information.
‘Today has been a tough day’, district attorney tells public as officials hold news conference
Sunday 16 April 2023 23:22 , Eleanor Noyce
Officials in Dadeville, Alabama are holding a news conference following a mass shooting on Saturday night that killed 4 people and injured 28, BBC News reports.
“Today has been a tough day,” Mike Segrest, district attorney, tells the news conference.
“There are no words to describe the emotions we are all feeling”, he adds, stating that this office is determined to “serve the victims.”
Dadeville holds vigil following mass shooting
Sunday 16 April 2023 23:10 , Eleanor Noyce
A vigil is being held close to the scene of the Dadeville mass shooting which took place at a local dance studio on Saturday evening, the BBC reports.
Ben Hayes, a senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dadeville, told CNN: “We are going to pull through it well, we have a vigil soon, the community is coming together.
“We’re going to sing, we’re going to pray, and we’re going to pray for these young people.”
‘What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?’, Biden says
Sunday 16 April 2023 22:56 , Eleanor Noyce
“What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?” President Joe Biden said in a statement on Sunday.
Biden called the rising gun violence in the U.S. “outrageous and unacceptable,” and urged Congress to pass laws that would make firearms manufacturers more liable for gun violence, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and require safe storage of firearms and background checks for gun sales.
Alabama shooting strains capacity in ‘small rural’ local hospitals
Sunday 16 April 2023 22:36 , Josh Marcus
The shooting Saturday night in Dadeville is straining the local community’s hospital capacity.
In addition to the four people who were killed, at least 15 were injured.
A spokesperson for the city of about 3,000’s only hospital said at least 15 teenagers were treated there for gunshot wounds, The Washington Post reports.
Of those 15, nine were transfered to other hopsitals to get more intensive care, Heidi Smith of Lake Martin Community Hospital total the paper, adding there are only a couple of “small rural hospitals” in the county.
Pictured: Law enforcement work the scene the day after Dadeville shooting
Sunday 16 April 2023 19:48 , Eleanor Noyce
Pictured: The aftermath of the Dadeville, Alabama shooting
Sunday 16 April 2023 18:37 , Eleanor Noyce
FBI responded to Dadeville shooting - Reuters
Sunday 16 April 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce
The FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fifth Circuit District Attorney’s Office had also responded to the scene in Dadeville and were assisting with the investigation, according to a release from the state law enforcement agency.
“We’re going to continue to work in a very methodical way to go through this scene, to look at the facts, and ensure that justice is brought to bear for the families,” said Jeremy Burkett, a sergeant with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, at the press conference.
Biden briefed following Dadeville shooting, White House confirms
Sunday 16 April 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting in Dadeville, Alabama, according to AP News.
The White House confirmed that it is closely monitoring the situation, adding that it has been in touch with law enforcement in Dadeville to provide support.
How many mass shootings have there been in the US so far in 2023?
Sunday 16 April 2023 17:49 , Eleanor Noyce
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the US has suffered at least 146 mass shootings so far in 2023, the highest number at this point in the year since at least 2016.
The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.
At 9am on Saturday - the same day as the shooting in Dadeville, Alabama - two people were killed and another four wounded in Louisville, Kentucky. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in Chickasaw Park, where two individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police do not yet know who opened fire at the park, and no suspects have been named at this time.
Just days prior, a mass shooting took place at Louisville’s Old National Bank, where a gunman killed five people and wounded nine others. The bank is approximately five miles from Chickasaw Park.
‘Keep our community in your prayers’, says Dadeville police chief
Sunday 16 April 2023 17:17 , Eleanor Noyce
“The city of Dadeville is a tight-knit community, full of wonderful people. I ask you to please keep our community in your prayers. I ask you to please keep my police department in your prayers,” police chief Jonathan Floyd stated at a press conference following the shooting.
Tallapoosa County Schools Superintendent Raymond Porter also confirmed that grief counsellors will be visiting schools across Dadeville on Monday, ABC News reports. However, he did not confirm whether any students had been killed or injured in the attack.
“I’m also asking that you please do not let this moment define what you think of the city of Dadeville,” Chief Floyd added. “What we’re dealing with is something no community should have to endure.”
Mapped: Dadeville, Alabama
Sunday 16 April 2023 17:10 , Eleanor Noyce
Dadeville is a small, rural city in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. Around 60 miles northeast of Montgomery, it has a population of just over 3,200.
Locals consider Dadeville to be the “Heart of Lake Martin”, a man-made lake with a hydroelectric dam completed in 1929.
Dance studio had been preparing to celebrate its two-year anniversary on 29 April
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:57 , Eleanor Noyce
The shooting took place at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio on Saturday evening, witnesses told WRBL. Gunfire erupted at the party at approximately 10:30pm.
According to the studio’s Facebook page, it had been preparing to celebrate its two-year anniversary on 29 April with a Michael Jackson-themed showcase of pop, rock and soul.
“This show will be filled with lots of sass, flare, and a guaranteed ROCKIN’ good time!”, one post wrote.
Dadeville community doing ‘our best to cope with it’, says mayor
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:50 , Eleanor Noyce
Dadeville’s mayor, Jimmy Goodman, said that the residents were “in shock” and that they were “doing our best to cope with it.”
“We’re just trying to make do,” he told ABC News.
The mass shooting is the latest in a violent spring across the US South. In late March, a woman shot and killed six people at a private school in Nashville, including three 9-year-old children. A few weeks later a mass shooter in Louisville, Kentucky, killed six people and injured nine others at his workplace.
First Baptist Church pastor spends night with victims’ families
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:40 , Eleanor Noyce
Ben Haynes, the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dadeville, said he spent the night with the families of the victims, according to ABC News.
Family members of the victims reportedly told Mr Haynes that an argument inside the party sparked the shooting, and that there were more than 50 people at the party when the violence broke out.
The situation is under active investigation by the ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigations, the Dadeville Police Department, and the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office.
“Violent crime has no place in our state”, says state governor
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:34 , Eleanor Noyce
“This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians,” Alabama state governor Kay Ivey tweeted following the incident.
“Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge.”
This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge.
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) April 16, 2023
Four dead, at least 16 others injured after mass shooting at Alabama ‘Sweet 16’ party
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce
Four people were killed and at least 16 others were wounded in Dadeville, Alabama, over the weekend after a “Sweet 16” birthday party turned violent.
The party took place Saturday night at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio, witnesses told WRBL.
Gunfire erupted at the party around 10:30pm, injuring more than 20 people. Witnesses told the news broadcaster that most of the more than 20 victims are teens, though that information has not been confirmed by law enforcement.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed that four people died in the mass shooting, according to AL.com. No further information on their identities or the details of the shooting were provided. No arrests were announced, and no further information on the whereabouts of the shooter were provided.
Numerous families have reportedly gathered to wait outside area hospitals where their loved ones are presumably being treated.
Four dead, at least 16 injured after mass shooting at Alabama ‘Sweet 16’ party
Sunday 16 April 2023 16:28 , Eleanor Noyce
Good afternoon, and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the shooting in Dadeville, Alabama. Follow as we provide live updates.
