Four people were left dead and at least 20 others injured after a birthday party on Saturday night in Dadeville, Alabama, turned deadly.
The shooting took place at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio just after 10:30 p.m. local time. The victims were among people who had gathered to celebrate a sweet 16 birthday party. Some victims were treated and released from the Lake Martin Community Hospital. Others were transferred to other hospitals. Some were even transferred to a trauma center in Birmingham.
After more than 10 hours into the shooting, very little information about the incident was made official, even as witnesses said that they had seen bodies covered in white sheets at the scene of the crime. The exact number of injured was not confirmed, nor if any suspect was in custody. Also, the motive behind the shooting was not immediately confirmed.
Who is Annette Allen?
Annette Allen, one of the Dadeville residents, is the grandmother of Alexis Dowdell, whose sweet 16 birthday was being celebrated when the shooting took place.
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Allen’s grandson, who is a high school footballer, was killed by the gunfire. Phil was a Dadeville football player who had recently committed to Jacksonville State University to play wide receiver. On April 8, Dowdell posted on Facebook, “Every day my life go up & up, it’s hard for me to get mad.”
“He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Allen said about his later grandson. Allen called that grin “a million-dollar smile.”
Allen’s daughter was wounded and sent to an area hospital after sustaining 2 gun shots. “This is a small community and they just wanted to enjoy the birthday party,” Allen told NPR’s member station Troy Public Radio. “We had to be standing and waiting for bodies to be brought out.”
