Tragedy in Dadeville: Four Lives Lost in Shooting at Sweet 16 Birthday Party

Four people were killed and dozens injured in a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama on Saturday night. Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox released the names of the deceased on Monday: Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, from Dadeville; Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 19, from Opelika; Philstavious Dowdell, 18, from Camp Hill and a senior at Dadeville High School; and Shaunkivia (KeKe) Smith, 17, also a senior at Dadeville High School.

The shooting has left the small city of 3,000 people in shock. Ben Hayes, chaplain of Dadeville High School’s football team, told CNN that “everybody knows everybody” in the city. The school district is reeling after two of its students and one graduate were identified as victims of the shooting.

Philstavious Dowdell was a running back for the high school’s football team and a member of the track team. Superintendent Raymond Porter said that Dowdell was “easy to work with from a school standpoint.” Shaunkivia Smith was also set to graduate this summer.

The shooting is under investigation by the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office has not yet released any information about the shooter or a possible motive. The community is mourning the loss of four young lives and is hoping for justice for the victims and their families.