4 killed, 28 injured in shooting at Alabama birthday party
Four people were killed and 28 injured during a shooting at a birthday party Saturday night in Dadeville, Alabama, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m., Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the ALEA said. There was no initial confirmation about what led to the shooting.
"There were 28 individuals injured during the course of the incident," Burkett said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. "Some of those injuries are critical, they are in critical condition, and that's why it's so important for everyone to continue to pray to allow them to recover from what they're enduring."
Fifteen patients with gunshot wounds were treated at Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville, spokeswoman Heidi Smith told CBS News on Monday. Five teenagers with gunshot wounds were in critical condition when they were transferred to other hospitals, Smith said.
Four other teenagers were also transferred to other hospitals, Smith said. Six patients were discharged from the hospital, she said.
Burkett said it was a "very fluid situation" and that authorities were still investigating the details of the shooting and were "not going to rush to failure."
Authorities did not take any questions from reporters following the brief news conference. When asked if a suspect is in custody, law enforcement did not answer.
The shootings rocked the small city of 3,200.
Dadeville Chief Jonathan L. Floyd paused to regain his composure before speaking at an earlier news conference.
"What we've dealt with is something that no community should have to endure. I just ask for your patience. It's going to be a long process, but I do earnestly solicit your prayers," Floyd said.
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 are teenagers because the shooting occurred at a birthday party for a 16-year-old. He said the shooting has rocked 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.
The Tallapoosa County school system said counseling will be available for students at the schools Monday, the school superintendent, Raymond C. Porter, said.
WRBL-TV reported that the shooting happened at a dance studio. The station showed images of crime scene tape around the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio and neighboring buildings and a heavy police presence.
A vigil was held Sunday evening as community members gathered to pray for the victims.
One attendee, Taniya Cox, arrived in a hospital gown with a cast on her right arm. She told CBS News she had been at the party and was shot several times in the arm.
Cox said that she thought there was more than one shooter, and that one of them even told her to get out of the way so that he wouldn't shoot her, but she had already been wounded.
"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.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting, the White House said, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation and has been in touch with local officials and law enforcement to offer support.
Dadeville is in east Alabama, about 57 miles (92 kilometers) northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.