A mass shooting at a 16th birthday party in the US state of Alabama has resulted in at least four deaths and 28 injuries. Some individuals sustained critical injuries after shorts were fired at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in the city of Dadeville on Saturday.
Phil Dowdell, a high school senior and star athlete, was among the victims.
This shooting marks the US’s 160th mass shooting so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
President Joe Biden has renewed his calls for tougher gun laws after the incident. The White House released a statement on Sunday .”When children cannot attend a birthday party without fear, what has our nation come to?”
About 3,200 people live in the small, rural city of Dadeville, and they do not usually experience this level of violence.
Investigation
The investigation into the shooting will be a “long, complicated process”, according to Sgt Jeremy Burkett of the state’s law enforcement agency, who also noted that next to no details have emerged about a possible suspect.
It is likely that most of the victims were teenagers.
Some parents were still searching for information about their children 12 hours after the shooting occurred.
At a vigil held in a local parking lot, teenagers were visibly shaking and crying as they tried to comfort one another.
Keenan Cooper, the DJ at the birthday party, said he tried to help guests get under tables when the shooting began, but it was too dark to see where the shots were coming from.
The area around the dance studio remains cordoned off. Alabama’s state governor, Kay Ivey, said, “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,” in a statement on Twitter.