Photo shows building in downtown Dadeville where birthday party turned in to mass shooting.
By John Brice
Correspondent
Four people were killed and thirty-two were injured in a horrific mass shooting that took place at a sweet sixteen celebration in the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio on Broadnax Street in Dadeville during the evening hours of Saturday, April 15th 2023.
On Monday, April 17th Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox confirmed the identities of the deceased as eighteen year old Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell of Camp Hill, seventeen year old Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith and twenty-three year old Corbin Dahmontrey Holston both of Dadeville as well as nineteen year old Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins of Opelika.
No suspects or arrests related to the tragic incident have been announced by authorities as of this writing, however, Central Alabama Crimestoppers is offering an up to $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the killings.
Alexis Dowdell, sister of slain victim Phil, was celebrating her sixteenth birthday with family and friends at the event space in downtown Dadeville when gunfire erupted. According to Keenan Cooper, the DJ providing music at the venue, there was no sign of a melee or other type of disturbance immediately preceding the shootout although there had been rumors amongst the crowd of an attendee carrying a gun.
LaTonya Allen, mother of Phil and Alexis, was chaperoning the party and at one point earlier in the evening had stopped the festivities to address the guests and demand that anyone in possession of a firearm leave immediately. After several moments of ensuing chaos, the dust settled with bodies of the dead and injured strewn about the blood soaked floor.
Law enforcement and first responders arrived in force at the bloodbath shortly afterwards to secure the area and treat gunshot victims. Nearby Lake Martin Community Hospital became a grisly scene of mayhem and torment with several wounded teens arriving in ambulances at its emergency room entrance. Shouting and commotion echoed in the late night air as parents and family members searched frantically for their missing children, desperate for answers on the whereabouts and statuses of their loved ones.
News of the torturous ordeal and its horrendous aftermath was reported on extensively across the region, the country and the world by local newspapers and television affiliates as well as national and international media outlets including Fox News, CBS News, CNN, BBC, the New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Buzzfeed, Daily Mail, the New York Post and Politico.
Governor Kay Ivey released a statement saying “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.”
President Joe Biden remarked “This morning, our nation is once again grieving for at least four Americans tragically killed at a teen’s birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama as well as two others killed last night in a crowded public park in Louisville. Jill and I are praying for their families, and for the many others injured and fighting for their lives in the wake of this weekend’s gun violence.”