DADEVILLE, Alabama – Police on Sunday were investigating a shooting officials said was tied to a birthday party that left at least four people dead and multiple others injured in Dadeville, about 50 miles northeast of Montgomery.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the shooting happened at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. There was no initial confirmation about what led to the incident, and it was not immediately known whether a suspect was in custody.
The gunfire erupted in Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, which was converted from old Bank of Dadeville two years ago. Some media outlets report as many as 20 people may have been shot at the gathering, a possible birthday party for a teen.
Police cordoned off several blocks near the crime scene Saturday night, including North Broadnax Street between Green and Columbus streets, and part of Cusseta Street. The strip includes professional services, a furniture store, PNC Bank and the Tallapoosa County Courthouse, which houses county services including the probate office.
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Pastor says most of the victims were teens
Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and for the local high school football team, said most of the victims were teens. He said the shooting, which occurred at a birthday party for a 16-year-old, has shaken the small town where serious crime is rare.
“One of the young men that was killed was one of our star athletes and just a great guy. So I knew many of these students. Dadeville is a small town and this is going to affect everybody in this area,” Hayes said.
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'Babies – very devastating'
Ashley Hill lives in Opelika, but she traveled to downtown Dadeville with two other women after hearing about the shootings to find out whether a friend of the family was safe. “Babies – very devastating,” she said of the teens that had been at the studio.
Dadeville was hit by at least one prior mass shooting when a gunman on Aug. 28, 2016, wounded five people during a party at the American Legion Hall.
“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 on social media.
Where is Dadeville, Alabama?
Dadeville, the county seat of Tallapoosa County in East Central Alabama, has a population of about 3,000 people and is about 57 miles northeast of Montgomery.
“The city of Dadeville is a tight-knit community full of wonderful people,” Dadeville Chief of Police Jonathan Floyd told reporters Sunday morning. “What we’ve dealt with is something no community should have to endure.”
Gun violence in 2023
The Dadeville shooting occurred around the same time two people were killed and four others injured in Louisville, Kentucky, by someone who shot into a crowded park Saturday evening.
Officers were dispatched around 9 p.m. to Chickasaw Park where “someone starting shooting into the crowd, hitting at least six people, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said. Four people were taken to University Hospital.
Five people were killed and eight were injured in a shooting rampage at Old National Bank in Louisville on April 17, including two LMPD officers. The gunman, who was an employee at the bank, was killed by officers. A motive for the shooting has not been released.
"This has been an unspeakable week of tragedy for our city," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at the press conference Saturday night. "This is not our city. This is not who we are. This is not who we want to be. ... This is enough."
The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive tracks all mass shootings, defined as a shooting in which at least four victims are hit by gunfire. According to the organization, the attack in Dadeville is the 160th mass shooting in the country this year.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
