A birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, turned tragic when a mass shooting claimed the lives of four individuals and left numerous others injured. State officials reported that the incident occurred at around 10:34 p.m. on Saturday.
Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed the connection to a birthday party, stating, "There were four lives tragically lost in this incident, and there's been a multitude of injuries." However, he declined to elaborate further, citing the active investigation.
Dadeville Police Chief Jonathan L. Floyd addressed the tragedy on Sunday, saying, "What we've dealt with is something that no community should have to endure." He also urged the public not to let this event define their perception of Dadeville and its residents.
Located about 45 miles northeast of Montgomery, Dadeville is a small community with a population of approximately 3,000. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey expressed her condolences to the town, declaring, "This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians." She emphasized that violent crime has no place in Alabama and that her office is closely monitoring the situation as law enforcement provides updates.
The mass shooting in Alabama occurred on the same day as another shooting in Louisville, Kentucky. In that incident, shots were fired into a crowd at a park, resulting in two deaths and four injuries.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the United States has experienced at least 162 mass shootings in the first 15 weeks of 2023. This equates to a daily average of more than 1.5 mass shootings so far this year.