By JEFF AMY and KIM CHANDLER (Related Press)
DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A highschool senior who deliberate to play school soccer was celebrating at his sister’s sixteenth party Saturday evening in Alabama when gunfire killed him and three different individuals and wounded a number of others.
Police have been gathering proof Sunday at a dance studio the place the social gathering was held in downtown Dadeville. They didn’t instantly say if a suspect was in custody, or in the event that they knew extra about any motivation.
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville Excessive Faculty senior who had dedicated to Jacksonville State College, was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ social gathering earlier than he was shot to dying, his grandmother Annette Allen instructed The Montgomery Advertiser.
“He was a really, very humble youngster. By no means messed with anyone. All the time had a smile on his face,” Allen instructed the newspaper, calling it “a million-dollar smile.”
Dowdell’s mom was amongst these harm within the capturing.
“All people’s grieving,” Allen stated.
Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Regulation Enforcement Company stated the capturing occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
“There have been 4 lives tragically misplaced on this incident, and there’s been a mess of accidents,” Burkett stated throughout a information convention Sunday.
The shootings rocked the town of three,200 residents, which is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.
Dadeville Police Chief Jonathan L. Floyd paused to regain his composure earlier than talking on the information convention.
“What we’ve handled is one thing that no neighborhood ought to should endure. I simply ask on your endurance. It’s going to be an extended course of, however I do earnestly solicit your prayers,” Floyd stated.
Dadeville’s compact downtown is centered round a courthouse sq. with one- and two-story brick buildings. The city’s busiest industrial district is a number of blocks north of the sq., off a bustling four-lane freeway that runs between Birmingham and Auburn. Dadeville is near Lake Martin, a preferred leisure space.
Greater than 12 hours after the capturing, investigators continued submitting out and in of the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, denoted by a banner hanging on the surface of a one-story brick constructing simply off the sq.. Lower than a block away, the American and Alabama flags have been lowered to half workers exterior the Tallapoosa County Courthouse.
Dadeville Mayor Frank Goodman stated he was in mattress asleep when a council member known as him simply earlier than 11 p.m. Saturday. He stated he went to Lake Martin Neighborhood Hospital in Dadeville, the place among the individuals who had been shot have been taken.
“It was chaotic,” Goodman stated. “There have been individuals operating round. They have been crying and screaming. There have been police automobiles in all places, there have been ambulances in all places. Folks have been looking for out about their family members. That was a scene, the place we by no means had something like this occur in our metropolis earlier than.”
Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as chaplain for the Dadeville Police Division and for the native highschool soccer staff, stated a lot of the victims are youngsters. Dowdell was inside weeks of commencement and confronted a shiny future, Hayes instructed The Related Press.
“He was a powerful competitor on the sphere,” Hayes stated. “You didn’t need to attempt to sort out him or get tackled by him. However when he got here off the sphere, he was one of many nicest younger males that you would ever meet, very respectful and well-respected by his friends.”
Hayes stated nervous households swarmed the native hospital Saturday evening looking for the situation of their youngsters. He stated severe crime is uncommon in Dadeville, and the small metropolis is “unhappy, traumatized, in shock.”
Jacksonville State soccer coach Wealthy Rodriguez stated in a press release Sunday: “Our ideas and prayers are with the household of Philstavious Dowdell and the opposite victims of the mindless tragedy final evening. He was an incredible younger man with a shiny future. My workers and I are heartbroken and hope that everybody will assist his household by way of this tough time.”
Dowdell additionally lately received medals at a highschool monitor meet at Troy College.
Counseling will probably be accessible for college students at Tallapoosa County faculties Monday, stated the varsity district superintendent, Raymond C. Porter.
“This morning, I grieve with the individuals of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we’re staying carefully up to date by regulation enforcement as particulars emerge,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey stated in a press release on social media.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the capturing, the White Home stated, including that it’s carefully monitoring the scenario and has been in contact with native officers and regulation enforcement to supply assist.
“What has our nation come to when youngsters can not attend a party with out concern? When mother and father have to fret each time their children stroll out the door to high school, to the movie show, or to the park?” Biden stated in a press release Sunday. “Weapons are the main killer of youngsters in America, and the numbers are rising – not declining. That is outrageous and unacceptable.”
Biden known as on Congress to “require protected storage of firearms, require background checks for all gun gross sales, eradicate gun producers’ immunity from legal responsibility, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
The mayor stated Dowdell was “an incredible younger man.” He additionally stated he’s involved about these wounded and psychologically traumatized by the capturing.
“We’re praying for them,” Goodman stated. “We ask God, if it’s his will, to convey them again to their mother and father protected, to allow them to mend.”
Goodman stated weapons and violence aren’t a frequent presence in Dadeville. He stated making an attempt to manage weapons would show as futile as making an attempt to manage unlawful medication.
That is at the least the second time lately that a number of individuals have been shot in Dadeville. 5 individuals have been wounded in July 2016 throughout a capturing at an American Legion corridor, and a person was later charged with 5 counts of tried homicide, information retailers reported.
Dadeville Excessive Faculty had 485 college students in grades 6-12 in 2022, based on Alabama state knowledge. It serves Dadeville and close by components of Tallapoosa County. Like the remainder of Dadeville, it’s tucked away simply out of view off a busy freeway that runs from Birmingham to Auburn.
Michael Taylor is an assistant coach for the soccer, basketball and monitor groups at Dadeville Excessive. He stated he met Dowdell when Dowdell was 9 and Taylor coached him in youth soccer. He stated the staff was invited to Atlanta to play within the stadium utilized by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
“He did some wonderful issues there, and he by no means stopped doing them since then,” Taylor stated. “He was the No. 1 athlete within the college.”
Taylor stated he final heard from Dowdell on Friday, when Dowdell was looking for video of his athletic exploits. Taylor stated he drove to the capturing scene Saturday evening from his house in close by Camp Hill.
“Man, I couldn’t get shut,” Taylor stated. “So as soon as I came upon what’s occurring, I actually I simply needed to go away as a result of it was going to be all evening.”
Taylor stated he returned Sunday to see Dowdle’s physique carried out from the dance studio. He stated he’s undecided what he’ll inform different athletes Monday.
“The very first thing we’ve acquired to do is we’ve acquired to hope our method out of this,” Taylor stated Sunday. “There ain’t no different method. After which I can let you know, they’re all actual shut like household at the highschool.”
Like in lots of different small cities, highschool soccer video games are a neighborhood focus. It may additionally open up a route to school for athletes, Taylor stated.
“It offers you a method out, you understand getting some objectives to shoot for, for faculty,” Taylor stated. “Additionally it offers you a way of pleasure on your highschool.”
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Kim Chandler reported from Huntsville, Alabama.