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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 17 april 2023

Shooting at Alabama birthday party kills 4; ‘multitude’ hurt

By JEFF AMY and of the nicest young men
KIM CHANDLER that you could ever meet,
Associated Press very respectful and well-
DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — respected by his peers.”
A high school senior who Hayes said worried families
had signed to play college swarmed the local hospital
football was celebrating Saturday night trying to find
at his sister’s 16th birthday the condition of their chil-
party Saturday night in Ala- dren. He said serious crime
bama when gunfire killed is rare in Dadeville, and the
him and three other peo- small city is “sad, trauma-
ple and wounded several tized, in-shock.”
others. Jacksonville State football
Police were gathering evi- coach Rich Rodriguez said
dence Sunday at a dance in a statement Sunday:
studio where the party was “Our thoughts and prayers
held in downtown Dadev- are with the family of Phil-
ille. stavious Dowdell and the
They did not immediately other victims of the sense-
say if a suspect was in cus- less tragedy last night. He
tody, or if they knew more was a great young man
about any motivation. Investigators work at the site of a fatal shooting in downtown Dadeville, Ala., on Sunday, April 16, with a bright future. My staff
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 2023. and I are heartbroken and
a Dadeville High School se- Associated Press hope that everyone will
nior who had signed with support his family through
Jacksonville State Univer- Agency said the shooting something that no commu- officials lowered the Ameri- this difficult time.”
sity, was celebrating at his occurred at about 10:30 nity should have to endure. can and Alabama flags to Dowdell also recently won
sister Alexis’ party before p.m. Saturday. I just ask for your patience. half staff. medals at a high school
he was shot to death, his “There were four lives tragi- It’s going to be a long pro- Pastor Ben Hayes, who track meet at Troy Univer-
grandmother Annette Al- cally lost in this incident and cess, but I do earnestly so- serves as chaplain for the sity.
len told The Montgomery there’s been a multitude of licit your prayers,” Floyd Dadeville Police Depart- Counseling will be available
Advertiser. injuries,” Burkett said during said. ment and for the local for students at Tallapoosa
“He was a very, very hum- a news conference Sun- More than 12 hours after high school football team, County schools Monday,
ble child. Never messed day. the shooting, investigators said most of the victims are the school superintendent,
with anybody. Always had The shootings rocked the continued filing in and out teenagers. Dowdell was Raymond C. Porter, said.
a smile on his face,” Allen city of 3,200 residents, of the Mahogany Master- within weeks of graduation “This morning, I grieve with
told the newspaper, calling which is about 57 miles (92 piece dance studio, denot- and faced a bright future, the people of Dadeville
it “a million-dollar smile.” kilometers) northeast of ed by a banner hanging on Hayes told The Associated and my fellow Alabamians.
Dowdell’s mother was Montgomery, Alabama. the outside of a one-story Press. Violent crime has NO place
among those hurt in the Dadeville Police Chief Jon- brick building in Dadev- “He was a strong competi- in our state, and we are
shooting. athan L. Floyd paused to ille’s compact downtown. tor on the field,” Hayes said. staying closely updated by
“Everybody’s grieving,” Al- regain his composure be- City and county officials “You didn’t want to try to law enforcement as details
len said. fore speaking at the news milled about the Tallapoo- tackle him or get tackled emerge,” Alabama Gov.
Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the conference. sa County Courthouse less by him. But when he came Kay Ivey said in a statement
Alabama Law Enforcement “What we’ve dealt with is than a block away, where off the field, he was one posted on social media.q

Ferry runs aground near Seattle; no

injuries reported

around 4:30 p.m. as it was Socha said. kept onboard. One pas-
traveling from the city of “Everybody’s been really senger suffered a medical
Bremerton to Seattle, ac- nice and good to each emergency unrelated to
cording to Washington other,” Socha told the the grounding and neces-
State Ferries, a division of Times. sitated an evacuation, the
the state Department of There were 596 passen- agency said.
Transportation. gers and 15 crew members Around 8 p.m., Kitsap Transit
Passenger Haley Socha aboard, according to fer- began taking others off the
told The Seattle Times that ries spokesperson Diane boat, ferry officials said. The
the ferry’s lights went out Rhodes. A tug boat and transit agency deployed
about 20 minutes into the the Coast Guard were on two passenger-only vessels,
A person stands on the shore while looking at the Walla Walla voyage and the engines the scene. the Commander and the
passenger ferry after it ran aground near Bainbridge Island west stopped. The lights came “Vessel engineers believe Waterman, with respec-
of Seattle on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
Associated Press back on after a minute and tide will be at the right tive capacities of 250 and
there was an alarm and an height to safely tow the 150 passengers, requiring
By PETER ORSI of Seattle on Saturday but announcement saying the boat at midnight. We apol- multiple trips to the Walla
Associated Press there were no reports of in- vessel had no propulsion ogize to passengers. Their Walla. Around 8:30, Kitsap
SEATTLE (AP) — A passen- juries or contamination, au- and warning people to safety is our first priority,” Transit reported the Com-
ger ferry carrying hundreds thorities said. brace for impact. Washington State Ferries mander had delivered the
of people ran aground The Walla Walla ran People helped one anoth- said via Twitter. first load of people to the
near Bainbridge Island west aground in Rich Passage er as they donned life vests, Passengers were initially slip at Bremerton. q