(Trends Wide) — A “Sweet 16” birthday party turned into a massacre in which four people were killed and at least 15 teenagers wounded by gunfire, authorities said.
The deadly attack occurred in downtown Dadeville around 10:34 p.m. Saturday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Sunday.
“There were four lives tragically lost in this incident, and a multitude of injuries,” said Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett.
A bullet hole can be seen in a window at the scene of a mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama. (Credit: Megan Varner/Getty Images)
One of the fatalities was Philstavious Dowdell, a high school football star and brother of the birthday girl, according to statements by Ben Hayes, the football team’s chaplain, and Keenan Cooper, who was the DJ at the party at the time of the incident. shooting.
Cooper told Trends Wide that he did not hear any fighting or disturbances before the shooting.
“It’s really sad to see all the kids that have been shot and those that have died,” he said. “And to see all those bodies at the front door, all those minors are probably going to be traumatized.”
Mourners cry near the site of the mass shooting in which more than a dozen teenagers were shot. (Credit: WTVM)
At least 15 teenagers were treated for gunshot wounds, several of them in critical condition.
Of the 15 teens taken to Dadeville’s Lake Martin Community Hospital, six were treated and released, said Heidi Smith, a spokeswoman for the hospital.
The remaining nine were transferred to other medical centers. At the last checkup, five of those teens were in critical condition, and four were in stable condition.
In nearby Alexander City, Russell Medical Center “received multiple patients” from the Dadeville birthday party shooting, spokeswoman Susan Foy said.
“They were treated and released or transferred to other centers,” Foy said. He added that he could not confirm how many patients were received or their ages.
Police have not provided any information about the attacker or a possible motive.
A young “local hero” shot dead
Dowdell was about to graduate high school next month and had won a football scholarship to Jacksonville, Alabama State University, according to Cooper.
The teen was “sort of a local hero,” Cooper said.
Dadeville High School’s Philstavious Dowdell (7) fends off a player during a game in October 2021. (Credit: KIrsten Fiscus/The Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today/Imagn)
“It’s a very tight-knit community,” Hayes told Trends Wide. “Everyone knows each other. That’s why this is so difficult, it’s because this affects everyone in the community.”
Hayes says the students told him the shooting happened at a “Sweet 16” birthday party.
“I knew these guys personally. Most people knew them,” the pastor said. Among those gathered at the hospital, “there was a lot of sadness, a lot of concern on the faces,” Hayes said.
“I think right now it’s shock,” he said. “I think anger will probably come. I think it’s a matter of time to see how people respond to this. But right now, things are quiet, and we’re praying it stays that way.”
A prayer vigil will be held at 5 p.m. CT this Sunday outside Dadeville First Baptist Church, Hayes said.
Tallapoosa County Schools will offer counseling to students Monday, Superintendent Raymond C. Porter said.
Dadeville, population 3,000, is about 45 miles northeast of Montgomery.
“What we experienced is something that no community should have to endure,” Dadeville Police Chief Jonathan L. Floyd said Sunday.
“I also ask each of you to please not let this moment define what you think of the City of Dadeville and our good people.”
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey sent her condolences to the community. “This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabama folks,” Ivey said in a statement to Trends Wide.
“Violent crime does NOT take place in our state, and we are keeping closely informed by law enforcement as details emerge.”
More mass shootings than days of the year
The Alabama shooting occurred the same day a crowd was shot at in a Louisville, Kentucky park. Two people died and four others were injured.
That incident marked the second mass shooting in that city in less than a week. Last Monday, a gunman killed five people and injured several more at the Old National Bank in Louisville, about 5 miles from Chickasaw Park.
Nationwide, the United States has suffered at least 162 mass shootings in the first 15 weeks of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That’s an average of more than 1.5 mass shootings a day so far this year.
The Archive defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are wounded by gunshots, not counting the attacker.
Trends Wide’s Keith Allen, Dianne Gallagher and Joe Sutton contributed to this article.
Related Post
(Trends Wide) — A “Sweet 16” birthday party turned into a massacre in which four people were killed and at least 15 teenagers wounded by gunfire, authorities said.
The deadly attack occurred in downtown Dadeville around 10:34 p.m. Saturday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Sunday.
“There were four lives tragically lost in this incident, and a multitude of injuries,” said Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett.
A bullet hole can be seen in a window at the scene of a mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama. (Credit: Megan Varner/Getty Images)
One of the fatalities was Philstavious Dowdell, a high school football star and brother of the birthday girl, according to statements by Ben Hayes, the football team’s chaplain, and Keenan Cooper, who was the DJ at the party at the time of the incident. shooting.
Cooper told Trends Wide that he did not hear any fighting or disturbances before the shooting.
“It’s really sad to see all the kids that have been shot and those that have died,” he said. “And to see all those bodies at the front door, all those minors are probably going to be traumatized.”
Mourners cry near the site of the mass shooting in which more than a dozen teenagers were shot. (Credit: WTVM)
At least 15 teenagers were treated for gunshot wounds, several of them in critical condition.
Of the 15 teens taken to Dadeville’s Lake Martin Community Hospital, six were treated and released, said Heidi Smith, a spokeswoman for the hospital.
The remaining nine were transferred to other medical centers. At the last checkup, five of those teens were in critical condition, and four were in stable condition.
In nearby Alexander City, Russell Medical Center “received multiple patients” from the Dadeville birthday party shooting, spokeswoman Susan Foy said.
“They were treated and released or transferred to other centers,” Foy said. He added that he could not confirm how many patients were received or their ages.
Police have not provided any information about the attacker or a possible motive.
A young “local hero” shot dead
Dowdell was about to graduate high school next month and had won a football scholarship to Jacksonville, Alabama State University, according to Cooper.
The teen was “sort of a local hero,” Cooper said.
Dadeville High School’s Philstavious Dowdell (7) fends off a player during a game in October 2021. (Credit: KIrsten Fiscus/The Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today/Imagn)
“It’s a very tight-knit community,” Hayes told Trends Wide. “Everyone knows each other. That’s why this is so difficult, it’s because this affects everyone in the community.”
Hayes says the students told him the shooting happened at a “Sweet 16” birthday party.
“I knew these guys personally. Most people knew them,” the pastor said. Among those gathered at the hospital, “there was a lot of sadness, a lot of concern on the faces,” Hayes said.
“I think right now it’s shock,” he said. “I think anger will probably come. I think it’s a matter of time to see how people respond to this. But right now, things are quiet, and we’re praying it stays that way.”
A prayer vigil will be held at 5 p.m. CT this Sunday outside Dadeville First Baptist Church, Hayes said.
Tallapoosa County Schools will offer counseling to students Monday, Superintendent Raymond C. Porter said.
Dadeville, population 3,000, is about 45 miles northeast of Montgomery.
“What we experienced is something that no community should have to endure,” Dadeville Police Chief Jonathan L. Floyd said Sunday.
“I also ask each of you to please not let this moment define what you think of the City of Dadeville and our good people.”
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey sent her condolences to the community. “This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabama folks,” Ivey said in a statement to Trends Wide.
“Violent crime does NOT take place in our state, and we are keeping closely informed by law enforcement as details emerge.”
More mass shootings than days of the year
The Alabama shooting occurred the same day a crowd was shot at in a Louisville, Kentucky park. Two people died and four others were injured.
That incident marked the second mass shooting in that city in less than a week. Last Monday, a gunman killed five people and injured several more at the Old National Bank in Louisville, about 5 miles from Chickasaw Park.
Nationwide, the United States has suffered at least 162 mass shootings in the first 15 weeks of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That’s an average of more than 1.5 mass shootings a day so far this year.
The Archive defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are wounded by gunshots, not counting the attacker.
Trends Wide’s Keith Allen, Dianne Gallagher and Joe Sutton contributed to this article.
