Phil Dowdell, 18, was murdered in the incident on Saturday, while his mother, LaTonya Allen (left), was reportedly injured. Image: LATONYA ALLEN
Over the weekend in Alabama, a mass shooting occurred at a teenager’s birthday party, and Phil Dowdell, a rising sports star, has been identified as one of the victims.
On Saturday, a mass shooting took place at a teenager’s birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, resulting in the death of at least four individuals between the ages of 17 and 23. 28 others were injured, some critically, and authorities have not confirmed if a suspect is in custody.
The local pastor has urged the gunman, who is reportedly still at large, to surrender.
The four victims have been identified as Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell (18), Keke Nicole Smith (17), Emmanuel ‘Siah’ Collins (19), and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston (23).
On Monday, Dadeville High School flew their flags at half-mast to honor the victims, and it was reported that Mr.
Dowdell was attending his sister’s 16th birthday celebration at a dance studio in the town center.
Phil Dowdell was set to graduate from the local high school and attend Jacksonville State University on a football scholarship.
Unfortunately, he was among the victims in the mass shooting that took place during his sister’s birthday party.
His mother was also reportedly injured in the incident. Phil was remembered by his grandmother, Annette Allen, as a humble and kind young man who always wore a smile on his face.
His sports coach at the high school, Roger McDonald, echoed these sentiments and described Phil as an outstanding young man who was not just a great athlete, but also a great kid.
Image: REUTERS
According to one of Phil’s friends who played with him on the high school football team where he was a wide receiver, Phil was an amazing friend who is now an angel in heaven.
On the other hand, relatives and friends of Keke Nicole Smith, one of the other victims, described her as a once-promising athlete who was also about to graduate from the local high school.
Ben Hayes, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dadeville and chaplain at the school football team, was familiar with many of the students who attended the birthday party.
Ben Hayes recounted that he received a phone call over the weekend informing him that two students had been killed and many others injured in the shooting.
He went to the local hospital where he found a large crowd of around 250 people in the car park anxiously waiting for updates.
He noted that Dadeville, a small town with just over 3,000 residents, is a closely-knit community and the tragedy has deeply affected everyone.
The day following the tragedy, members of the local community gather in Dadeville for a vigil. Image: GETTY IMAGES
Ben Hayes reported that there were approximately 50 people attending the party when someone from outside the community entered and started shooting. He urged the perpetrator to surrender as the community needs closure.
The mayor of Dadeville, Jimmy Frank Goodman Sr, shared that he was asleep when he was notified about the shooting, and when he arrived at the hospital, it felt like a surreal experience for him.
The aftermath of the incident, according to Dadeville Mayor Jimmy Frank Goodman Sr., was “chaos.”. Image: BBC
Mayor Jimmy Frank Goodman Sr recalled the chaos that he witnessed at the hospital after the shooting, with people crying, bodies being taken to the emergency room, and bloody clothes scattered on the ground.
He described the scene as worse than what he had experienced during his time serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.
He admitted that he had no information on the suspect and had only heard rumors.
Location. Image: BBC
The Gun Violence Archive, which defines mass shootings as incidents where four or more people are shot, has recorded over 160 such events in the US so far this year.
The police have not provided any details about how the Dadeville shooting was stopped or about the investigation, but they have asked for the public’s assistance. Meanwhile, the Lake Martin Community Hospital has treated 15 teenagers with gunshot wounds, six of whom have been discharged, while five remain in critical condition in other hospitals.
A vigil was held for the victims, and the police have urged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
Clergy and grief counsellors are also available to the community, according to Casey Davis, a deputy superintendent at the local board of education.
Despite the sombre mood, the Dadeville community is coming together to support one another in the aftermath of the shooting.
Yes, that’s correct. Alabama has some of the most permissive gun laws in the United States, and it is a state with a strong tradition of gun ownership and hunting.
It is also a state with a high rate of gun-related deaths.
However, the shooting in Dadeville has once again ignited the debate over gun control laws in the US, with many calling for stricter regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.