Mass shooting at teen birthday party leaves 4 killed, 28 injured

Authorities refused to say if a suspect was in custody after a shooting rocked a small Alabama town

Four people were were shot dead and another 28 injured after a teenager’s birthday celebration turned chaotic in a small town of Dadeville, Alabama on Saturday night. A full day later, authorities are still tight-lipped on whether they have any suspects in custody, but insist there is no longer any threat to the community.

The shooting erupted about 10:30 pm Saturday at a dance studio in downtown Dadeville, a city of some 3,200 residents around 92 kilometers northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.

Most of the victims are said to be teenagers, according to local media reports. In addition to four fatalities, at least 28 individuals sustained a “wide variety of injuries,” authorities said. At least 15 of the victims suffered gunshot wounds, and nine of them are believed to be in critical condition. 

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Authorities have held multiple press conferences since the incident, but refused to say if the suspect was arrested or whether the investigators have any idea about what might have led to the shooting.

“We’ve got to have information from the community,” Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said during the latest presser on Sunday evening, urging the witnesses to come forward.

Authorities also did not reveal the names of the victims, but one of those killed was identified by his family as Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a high school senior who planned to play college football for Jacksonville State University. The shooting apparently happened during the celebration of his sister’s 16th birthday.