DADEVILLE, Ala. – A small community was grieving the loss of four young people in a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party over the weekend.
The victims, all Alabama natives in their late teens or early 20s, died after gunfire erupted at Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio Saturday night. On Monday, authorities said the number of injured in the shooting had increased from 28 to 32.
On Monday, Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network, the identities of the four people killed.
Administrators at Dadeville High, where some of the victims went to school, expressed condolences for the community via social media and offered resources to students who lost their classmates and friends.
“We are deeply saddened to hear about the recent shooting incident that occurred. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the students, faculty and families affected by this tragic event,” the school’s Facebook post read. “Our school counselors and clergy are here to provide guidance and support to anyone who needs it.”
Here’s what we know about who the victims were:
ALABAMA SHOOTING UPDATES:Victims identified as police still search for shooter, motive
Philstavious ‘Phil’ Dowdell, 18
A senior at Dadeville High, Philstavious Dowdell was just weeks away from his May 25 graduation when he died. He was at the dance studio downtown to celebrate his younger sister’s birthday.
Dowdell was a star athlete who played football and basketball and ran track at the school. He had committed earlier this year to play football at Jacksonville State University.
The day before the shooting, Dowdell competed in the Troy University Track and Field Invitational Meet, winning second place in the 200-meter dash.
“He was a very, very humble child,” his grandmother Annette Allen said. “Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face.”
Antojuan Woody, from the nearby town of Camp Hill, was a fellow wide receiver with Dowdell on the Dadeville Tigers football team. He said he and Dowdell had been lifelong best friends.
Woody described the victims “as great people who didn’t deserve what happened to them.”
Dowdell’s mother LaTonya Allen created a GoFundMe on Monday to collect “love offerings” for her son.
“These offers will help serve the family’s unexpected expenses in the upcoming weeks as we prepare to lay our son to rest,” Allen wrote.
Shaunkivia ‘KeKe’ Nicole Smith, 17
Smith was also a Dadeville High senior closing in on graduation. She played volleyball and softball at the school, loved fashion, and was planning to attend the University of Alabama in the fall.
Also known as “KeKe,” Smith was excited about graduation and often reminded a neighbor of the exact moment it was supposed to happen. She shared selfies taken in her cap and gown, writing “almost out.”
Amy Jackson, a first cousin once removed who said she felt more like Smith’s aunt, described her as smart, well-rounded, and always ready with a kind word.
Jackson described Smith as a talented athlete before a knee injury sidelined her. But Smith then jumped in to serve as a team manager.
“She was like a ray of sunshine … always smiling,” Jackson said. “She wasn’t a negative person. She always found something positive.”
Before leaving for the party Saturday, Smith’s last was to get her little sister ready for bed.
“That was her nature. She was a caretaker,” Jackson said.
Marsiah ‘Siah’ Emmanuel Collins, 19
Collins was a 19-year-old from Opelika, Alabama, 27 miles southeast of Dadeville. He played football and ran in the 200-meter and 400-meter races at Opelika High School, helping the track team win the 6A state championship in 2021.
He was also a musician who released songs on YouTube and other platforms under the stage name 224A Siah. After taking a gap year, Collins was planning to attend Louisiana State University in the fall.
“My son was funny and intelligent, athletic and talented,” said his father, Martin Edward. “He loved to make his music and play sports.”
Edward said his son had an optimistic future ahead of him.
“He was inquisitive and a loyal, extremely respectful and polite. He was a scholar,” Edward said.
Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23
Holston was from Dadeville and graduated from Dadeville High in 2018. According to his social media accounts, he was living in Birmingham before he died.
Holston’s mother, Janett Heard, told AL.com her son did not attend the party but was there to check on the safety of a younger family member.
“Corbin was selfless when it can to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector,’’ Heard said. “That’s just the type of person he was.”
Contributing: The Associated Press