Alabama Mass Shooting: What We Know So Far

Two teens, 17-year-old Ty Reik McCullough and 16-year-old Travis McCullough, have been charged with reckless murder in connection with the mass shooting at a 16th birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, which left four dead and 32 injured. The shooting, which occurred at a dance studio, has the highest number of injuries of any mass shooting in the US so far this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The teens will be tried as adults under Alabama law, which defines “reckless murder” as “extreme indifference to human life” and “conduct which creates a grave risk of death” to another. Authorities did not provide any new details or motives at a press conference on Wednesday. District Attorney Mike Segrest stated that additional charges are to come in relation to those who were injured, including four that remain in critical condition.

The four victims have been identified by the Tallapoosa County coroner’s office as Philstavious Dowdell, a Dadeville High School football player and brother of the birthday girl; KeKe Nicole Smith, a volleyball player and team manager for the high school’s track team; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston; and Marsiah Emmanuel Collins. At least 15 teenagers are reportedly being treated for gunshot wounds. The investigation is being led by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, and authorities are asking the public to share any information they have about the incident.

The shooting has sparked calls for stronger gun laws, with President Joe Biden urging Congress to enact legislation requiring safe storage of firearms, universal background checks, and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Biden also commended Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order to expand background checks in the state, and Lee’s push for a red flag law, under which individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others can be temporarily barred from possessing firearms.

Alabama has the fifth-highest rate of firearm mortality in the US, with 23.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. Earlier this year, the state enacted permitless carry laws, allowing anyone over 18 to carry a firearm in public without a permit or background check. Alabama also established a state firearms prohibited person database in January, although it is unclear whether the Dadeville shooter would have been flagged under this system.