Mass shooting at Alabama birthday party leaves 4 dead, 28 hurt

DADEVILLE, Ala. (WUPA/AP) - The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said four people were killed and 28 injured in a shooting at a teenager's birthday party late Saturday night in Dadeville, Ala.

Among those killed was a high school senior who planned to play college football and was celebrating his sister's 16th birthday. The shooting erupted Saturday night at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville.

During two news conferences Sunday, Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency did not take questions. He did not say if a suspect was in custody or if investigators knew about any motivation. He did not provide the names of those killed.  

"We've got to have information from the community," Burkett said during a Sunday evening news conference.  

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," Allen told the newspaper, calling it "a million-dollar smile."

Dowdell's mother was among those hurt in the shooting.

"Everybody's grieving," Allen said.

Burkett said the shooting occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. "There were four lives tragically lost in this incident," he said.

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," Allen told the newspaper, calling it "a million-dollar smile."

Dowdell's mother was among those hurt in the shooting.

"Everybody's grieving," Allen said.

Burkett said the shooting occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. "There were four lives tragically lost in this incident," he said.

Dadeville Chief Jonathan L. Floyd paused to regain his composure before speaking at the first of two news conferences held on Sunday.

"What we've dealt with is something that no community should have to endure. I just ask for your patience. It's going to be a long process, but I do earnestly solicit your prayers," Floyd said.

The Tallapoosa County school system said counseling will be available for students at the schools Monday, the school superintendent, Raymond C. Porter, said.  

Crime scene tape was seen surrounding a building housing the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio on North Broadnax Street in Dadeville, Columbus, Ga., CBS station WRBL said. They said a tarp could be seen hanging over the glass front door, with white sheets covering the floor inside. Yellow police placards could be seen on the sidewalk outside the building. 

Dadeville Mayor Frank Goodman said he was in bed asleep when a council member called him just before 11 p.m. Saturday. 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."

Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and for the local high school football team, said most of the victims are teenagers. Dowdell was within weeks of graduation and faced a bright future, Hayes told The Associated Press.

"He was a strong competitor on the field," Hayes said. "You didn't want to try to tackle him or get tackled by him. But when he came off the field, he was one of the nicest young men that you could ever meet, very respectful and well-respected by his peers."

Hayes said worried families swarmed the local hospital Saturday night trying to find the condition of their children. He said serious crime is rare in Dadeville, and the small city is "sad, traumatized, in shock."

Jacksonville State football coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement Sunday: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Philstavious Dowdell and the other victims of the senseless tragedy last night. He was a great young man with a bright future."

Dowdell also recently won medals at a high school track meet at Troy University.

"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," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement posted Sunday morning on social media. 

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 and law enforcement to offer support.

"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?" Biden said in a statement Sunday. "Guns are the leading killer of children in America, and the numbers are rising – not declining. This is outrageous and unacceptable."

Biden 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."

This is at least the second time in recent years that multiple people were shot in Dadeville. Five people were wounded in July 2016 during a shooting at an American Legion hall, and a man was later charged with five counts of attempted murder, news outlets reported.  

Dadeville is a town with a population of about 3,000, located about 80 miles southeast of Birmingham, and 120 miles southwest of Atlanta. It is the county seat of Tallapoosa County. 

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