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Alabama shooting: 2 arrested, charged with four counts of murder

By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Alabama birthday party shooting Community members watch as crime scene investigators work the scene of a shooting on April 16, 2023 in Dadeville, Alabama. (Megan Varner/Getty Images, File)

By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

DADEVILLE, Ala. — Two teenagers have been arrested on reckless murder charges after gunfire erupted at a Sweet 16 party in Dadeville on Saturday, killing four people and leaving 32 others injured.

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Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, were arrested Tuesday night on four counts each of reckless murder. Mike Segrest, district attorney for Alabama’s fifth circuit, said they will also face charges related to the dozens of people who were injured.

They will be charged as adults, he added.

The circumstances leading up to the shooting remained unclear on Wednesday. Burkett declined Wednesday to talk about a possible motive in the case.

“Please understand, with a scene and a violent act, with the violence that went on and the magnitude of what happened, we are absolutely still in the early stages of this investigation,” Burkett said at a news conference Wednesday. “This is absolutely the beginning. This is not the end. There’s a tremendous amount of work that has yet to be done.”

Alabama shooting: 4 killed during birthday party identified; 32 others injured

Officials earlier identified the slain victims as Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17; Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18; Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19; and Corbin Dehmontrey Holston, 23. They were shot and killed during a Sweet 16 party at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio just after 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, authorities said.

The party was for Alexis “Lexi” Dowdell’s birthday, Segrest said.

Alabama shooting: One of 4 people killed was star high school athlete, family says

“There was uncut cake and unburnt 16 candles that never got lit,” the district attorney said. “Lexi’s brother was one of the victims. On her 16th birthday party, she knelt by her brother as he took his last breath. That’s what we’re dealing with here.”

He noted that the shooting affected people beyond the borders of Dadeville, as several of the people at Saturday’s party came from other nearby communities.

“There were so many kids in this venue, and what they saw, it’s — they’re victims in this. Their families are victims of this, and the ripple effect of this, you know, it’s kind of like a wave rolling across Lake Martin, but that ripple didn’t stop when it hit the banks,” he said. “There are other communities involved.”

Authorities continue to investigate.

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