Alabama authorities announced on Wednesday that two teenagers had been arrested and charged in the Dadeville mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party over the weekend.
The incident resulted in the death of four people, with another 32 individuals injured. The gunfire erupted at approximately 10:34 p.m. on Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in the 200 Block of Broadnax Street in Dadeville, a small town with a population of 3,200 people in Tallapoosa County, located about 62 miles northeast of the state capital of Montgomery.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency stated that Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both from Tuskegee, have been charged with four counts of reckless murder. Special Agents arrested the teens with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
The ALEA said in a statement, "These individuals have been charged after a complex and thorough investigation was conducted with assistance from a multitude of law enforcement agencies." The investigation received support from multiple agencies, including the Dadeville Police Department, the Tuskegee Police Department, Tallapoosa County Sheriff's Office, Macon County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Marshals Service, and the 5th Circuit District Attorney's Office.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, District Attorney Mike Segrest said that the pair would be charged as adults, and prosecutors would ask a judge to hold them without bail. Alabama law requires a bond hearing to be held by Friday.
He further mentioned that four people remain in the hospital in critical condition, and more charges will be forthcoming. Segrest also stated that the prosecutors would ensure justice for all the victims, not just the deceased.
The shooting occurred on Saturday at a 16th birthday party for Alexis Dowdell, held at the dance studio near the town's courthouse square. Witnesses reported that multiple people began shooting sometime after Dowdell's mother asked people with guns to leave. Philstavious "Phil" Dowdell, the birthday girl's brother, reportedly died in his sister's arms. The victims also included fellow Dadeville High senior Shaunkivia Nicole "KeKe" Smith, 17, a team manager; Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, an aspiring singer who planned to start college this fall after graduating from Opelika High School in 2022; and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, another former athlete at the school.
Holston's mother, Janett Heard, told AL.com that he had gone to the party to check on a younger family member who feared trouble. Relatives stated that the shooting began shortly after Holston arrived, and he pulled his younger relative to safety before succumbing to his injuries.
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett declined to comment on where the two suspects are being jailed or whether they were already in custody when charged. Burkett stated, "We can't get into a motive right now because that would be part of an ongoing investigation. We can't share that."
Segrest noted that grand jurors typically meet in Tallapoosa County in March and September. Still, he said he would recall grand jurors to seek an indictment before September if they could establish the facts. "If we can establish the facts, we will be asking our grand jury to come back in," he added.
The community remains in shock, and local officials are committed to ensuring justice for the victims. "On her 16th birthday party, she kneeled by her brother as he took his last breath. That is what we're dealing with. The message that I want to send is I know some of these victims personally. Some of these kids are kids of friends of mine, people that I went to school with, people that I played ball with and against in the community back in high school. And these are my kids," Segrest said during the press conference.
The shooting has shocked and saddened the community of Dadeville, and local officials are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet released any information on a possible motive for the shooting.
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