At a Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama, the first victims of the mass shooting were identified.
Image source- Yahoo News.com
What Happened at The Birthday Party?
At Alexis Dowdell’s birthday party on Saturday night at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in Dadeville, a gunman opened fire, killing at least four people and injuring another 28, some of whom were in critical condition. Along with Keke Nicole Smith and two others, the birthday girl’s brother Philstavious Phil Dowdell, a high school senior, was killed, and the state of Alexis is unknown.
According to The Outlook, both of the identified victims were scheduled to graduate from high school in a matter of weeks. Smith was in charge of the school’s track and basketball teams. Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency did not take questions during the two news conferences on Sunday.
Moreover, he did not disclose whether a suspect was in custody or whether investigators were aware of any motive. The names of the deceased were not provided by him.
What Dowdell’s Known People Said?
Remembering her lovely grandson Dowdell’s grandma, Annette Allen told the Montgomery Publicist that he was an incredibly, humble youngster, and he never just got along with anyone, and continuously had a grin all over his face.
Moreover, the shooting also claimed the life of Dowdell’s mother. Going on, Ms Allen stated that everyone was grieving.
Michael Taylor, the athletics coach at Dadeville, said that Smith and Dowdell were very similar people who were lively and funny. Taylor stated to The Outlook that Keke Nicole Smith was full of love and she was extremely humble, just like Phil, and she had a huge smile like Phil. He added that she got on all of us, including him, with her constant jokes, and that she just oozed vitality.
The party’s DJ, Keenan Cooper, told WBMA-TV that when people heard someone with a gun, the party was briefly stopped. He expressed individuals with weapons were approached to leave, yet entirely nobody left. Some people hid under a table where Cooper was standing, he claimed, while others fled when the shooting started later.
In a statement, President Joe Biden stated that why is it that children were unable to attend birthday parties without fear. When parents must worry each time their children leave the house to go to the park, the movie theatre, or school? Guns are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, and their numbers are rising rather than falling.
Mr Biden urged Congress to mandate the safe storage of firearms, require background checks for all gun sales, eliminate gun manufacturer immunity from liability, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Goodman stated that they were praying for them. According to Goodman, gun violence is uncommon in Dadeville, and he
e asserted that attempting to regulate firearms would be equivalent to attempting to regulate illegal drugs.
What Alexis’s Coach Said?
Roger McDonald, the head football coach at Dadeville High, stated that he would support bereaved students as best he could. He stated that there is no playbook for something like this. Therefore, the best thing one can do is to simply love their children, show them how much one care about them, and be there for them.
Image source- The New York Time’s.com
McDonald claimed Dowdell possessed something unique. The coach stated that he was a leader, and as far as his ability, an electrifying player. An assistant coach named Michael Taylor claims that he met Dowdell when he was nine years old and coached him in youth football.
According to Taylor, the team received an invitation to play in the Atlanta Falcons stadium in Atlanta. He mentioned that he did some amazing things there, and he never stopped doing them. Dowdell was described as a great young man by the mayor. Additionally, he stated that the wounded and psychologically traumatized by the shooting concern him.
Read Also: Who Is Jerry Allbright? Find Out What Happened To Him
