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| Alabama shooting: 3 teenagers and a 23-year-old among victims | Alabama shooting: 3 teenagers and a 23-year-old among victims |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama | Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama |
| Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama | Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama |
| A father has told the BBC he is "absolutely crushed" by the death of his 19-year-old son at a 16th birthday party in Alabama on Saturday night. | A father has told the BBC he is "absolutely crushed" by the death of his 19-year-old son at a 16th birthday party in Alabama on Saturday night. |
| Marsiah Collins, two other teenagers and a 23-year-old were killed during the shooting in Dadeville. | |
| His father, Martin Collins, said: "I don't know how to feel, except for any other way but heartbroken. My son was my heart and my life. And he was stolen from me. His life was stolen from him and he was stolen from us." | His father, Martin Collins, said: "I don't know how to feel, except for any other way but heartbroken. My son was my heart and my life. And he was stolen from me. His life was stolen from him and he was stolen from us." |
| Twenty-eight more more were injured, authorities said, some critically. Among the 15 teenagers who were treated at a local hospital - all of whom had sustained gunshot wounds - nine have been transferred to other facilities. | Twenty-eight more more were injured, authorities said, some critically. Among the 15 teenagers who were treated at a local hospital - all of whom had sustained gunshot wounds - nine have been transferred to other facilities. |
| Police have not disclosed any details about suspects or a possible motive. | Police have not disclosed any details about suspects or a possible motive. |
| Here is what we know about the victims: | Here is what we know about the victims: |
| Philstavious Dowdell, 18 | Philstavious Dowdell, 18 |
| Philstavious Dowdell was a star football player at Dadeville High School | Philstavious Dowdell was a star football player at Dadeville High School |
| The oldest of three siblings, Philstavious Dowdell was killed while trying to save his sister Alexis when a gunman opened fire at her 16th birthday, his family said. | The oldest of three siblings, Philstavious Dowdell was killed while trying to save his sister Alexis when a gunman opened fire at her 16th birthday, his family said. |
| The 18-year-old pushed his sister to the ground as gunfire erupted during the celebration at a dance studio. | The 18-year-old pushed his sister to the ground as gunfire erupted during the celebration at a dance studio. |
| "The last thing I told him was to stay strong," Alexis told the BBC. The family said they still don't know who opened fire. | "The last thing I told him was to stay strong," Alexis told the BBC. The family said they still don't know who opened fire. |
| Kenan Cooper, the DJ at the party whose music was silenced by gunfire, described Phil Dowdell as "kind of like the hometown hero," in the close-knit town of roughly 3,000. | Kenan Cooper, the DJ at the party whose music was silenced by gunfire, described Phil Dowdell as "kind of like the hometown hero," in the close-knit town of roughly 3,000. |
| He was a star athlete on his high school's American football team and had been due to graduate to go to Jacksonville State University on a sports scholarship. | He was a star athlete on his high school's American football team and had been due to graduate to go to Jacksonville State University on a sports scholarship. |
| One of his friends who played with him on the school football team told the BBC: "Phil to me was an amazing friend. God's got an angel." | One of his friends who played with him on the school football team told the BBC: "Phil to me was an amazing friend. God's got an angel." |
| Jacksonville's head coach, Rich Rodriguez, said in a statement on Sunday that Mr Dowdell was "a great young man with a bright future". | Jacksonville's head coach, Rich Rodriguez, said in a statement on Sunday that Mr Dowdell was "a great young man with a bright future". |
| Phil Dowdell's grandmother, Annette Allen, told the Montgomery Advertiser local newspaper: "He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face." | Phil Dowdell's grandmother, Annette Allen, told the Montgomery Advertiser local newspaper: "He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face." |
| His sports coach at the local high school, Roger McDonald, described him as an outstanding young man. | His sports coach at the local high school, Roger McDonald, described him as an outstanding young man. |
| "Everybody loved Phil. He always had a smile on his face. He always spoke to everyone. He was the ideal kid that you want to coach. He wasn't just a great athlete. He was a great kid," he told the paper. | "Everybody loved Phil. He always had a smile on his face. He always spoke to everyone. He was the ideal kid that you want to coach. He wasn't just a great athlete. He was a great kid," he told the paper. |
| Marsiah Collins, 19 | Marsiah Collins, 19 |
| Martin Collins and his son, Marsiah | Martin Collins and his son, Marsiah |
| Marsiah Collins was a varsity football player and a track star, who had hopes of one day joining his father, Martin, in their shared dream of becoming lawyers. | Marsiah Collins was a varsity football player and a track star, who had hopes of one day joining his father, Martin, in their shared dream of becoming lawyers. |
| Mr Collins told BBC News that he is studying law at Louisiana State University and that his son was excited to join him as an undergraduate at the university this autumn. | |
| The two had been arranging living together for the forthcoming school year, he said. But Marsiah's life was cut tragically short on Saturday. | The two had been arranging living together for the forthcoming school year, he said. But Marsiah's life was cut tragically short on Saturday. |
| "My son was my heart and my life. And he was stolen from me," his father said. "He was the light of every room he walked into." | "My son was my heart and my life. And he was stolen from me," his father said. "He was the light of every room he walked into." |
| Teen died saving sister's life in Alabama shooting | Teen died saving sister's life in Alabama shooting |
| 'Someone must know': Questions remain in Dadeville | 'Someone must know': Questions remain in Dadeville |
| In an interview with the BBC, his father Martin Collins described Marsiah as a "shy" teen who had possessed inner "strength and toughness". | In an interview with the BBC, his father Martin Collins described Marsiah as a "shy" teen who had possessed inner "strength and toughness". |
| "He would make you laugh like nobody's business, he would make you laugh uncontrollably sometimes, with his goofiness," he said. | "He would make you laugh like nobody's business, he would make you laugh uncontrollably sometimes, with his goofiness," he said. |
| Mr Collins said he and his family are still learning details about the shooting, but answers will not assuage their grief. | Mr Collins said he and his family are still learning details about the shooting, but answers will not assuage their grief. |
| "I just want the world to know that none of those children deserve to die. My son definitely didn't. And he was just the perfect little baby." | "I just want the world to know that none of those children deserve to die. My son definitely didn't. And he was just the perfect little baby." |
| Shaunkivia Smith, 17 | Shaunkivia Smith, 17 |
| Shaunkivia Smith, 17, was a manager on Dadeville High School's basketball and track and field teams | Shaunkivia Smith, 17, was a manager on Dadeville High School's basketball and track and field teams |
| Shaunkivia Smith also had a background in athletics and was reported by local media to have played volleyball and softball. However, a knee injury during her junior year cut her participation short. | Shaunkivia Smith also had a background in athletics and was reported by local media to have played volleyball and softball. However, a knee injury during her junior year cut her participation short. |
| She served as a manager of the basketball and track and field teams during her final year at high school. | She served as a manager of the basketball and track and field teams during her final year at high school. |
| She, too, had her eyes on college before she was shot and killed, and had planned on attending the University of Alabama, Ms Smith's cousin told CNN. | She, too, had her eyes on college before she was shot and killed, and had planned on attending the University of Alabama, Ms Smith's cousin told CNN. |
| "She was full of love," Michael Taylor, the school's coach, told local news. "Just like Phil, she was very, very humble and she had this huge smile like Phil had. She would joke around all the time, and she got onto all of us - even me. She was just full of life." | "She was full of love," Michael Taylor, the school's coach, told local news. "Just like Phil, she was very, very humble and she had this huge smile like Phil had. She would joke around all the time, and she got onto all of us - even me. She was just full of life." |
| On social media, a friend of Ms Smith called her the "sweetest person ever". | On social media, a friend of Ms Smith called her the "sweetest person ever". |
| "i just can't believe this. not now &' probably not ever. i miss you so much already. it'll never be the same , i love you," Brooke Bowden wrote on her Facebook page. | "i just can't believe this. not now &' probably not ever. i miss you so much already. it'll never be the same , i love you," Brooke Bowden wrote on her Facebook page. |
| Corbin Holston, 23 | Corbin Holston, 23 |
| Corbin Holston, had gone to the party to check in on a family member | Corbin Holston, had gone to the party to check in on a family member |
| Corbin Holston graduated from Dadeville High School in 2018, according to social media posts. | Corbin Holston graduated from Dadeville High School in 2018, according to social media posts. |
| His mother, Janett Heard, told local news Mr Holston did not attend the party but went there to check on a family member who feared trouble was brewing. | His mother, Janett Heard, told local news Mr Holston did not attend the party but went there to check on a family member who feared trouble was brewing. |
| "Out of concern for other family members, Corbin responded to the party to ensure their safety but unfortunately encountered the suspects,'' Ms Heard said. | "Out of concern for other family members, Corbin responded to the party to ensure their safety but unfortunately encountered the suspects,'' Ms Heard said. |
| "Corbin was selfless when it came to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector. That's just the type of person he was." | "Corbin was selfless when it came to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector. That's just the type of person he was." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| US gun violence | US gun violence |
| Alabama | Alabama |
| United States | United States |