April 17th 2023.
The tragic shooting at a Sweet 16 party in Dadeville, Alabama, has left four people dead and several others injured. Thankfully, six of the victims have been released from the hospital and transferred to other hospitals, with five in critical condition.
One of the victims, Keke Smith, was a high school senior at Dadeville High School, who was set to attend The University of Alabama this fall. Smith was Dadeville High School’s track team manager and also helped manage the basketball and football teams.
Another victim, Philstavious Dowdell, was described by his coach, Michael Taylor, as a "hometown hero" with a bright future. Dowdell was killed while attending his younger sister's birthday party and had recently received a football scholarship to play at Jacksonville State University. Jacksonville State’s head football coach, Rich Rodriguez, said in a statement that Dowdell was “a great young man with a bright future.” Sgt. Jeremy Burkett has not released any information about a suspect or whether anyone has been arrested.
While this tragedy has taken away two promising young people, the community is coming together to celebrate the lives of Keke Smith and Philstavious Dowdell. Smith was always in good spirits and had an infectious smile, while Dowdell was gifted at any task he put his hand to. The remaining victims are in our thoughts and prayers as we hope for a positive recovery.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
