On April 16, police in Alabama were investigating a shooting that killed four people and injured 28 others at a gathering in Dadeville, about 57 miles northeast of Montgomery.
On April 15, at about 10:30 p.m. local time, a shooting occurred at a dance studio birthday party.
“There were four lives tragically lost in this incident,” Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy Burkett stated during a news conference on April 16.
Burkett did not take questions during two press appearances on Sunday. He did not specify whether a suspect was in custody or whether detectives were aware of any motivation.
“One of the young men that was killed was one of our star athletes and just a great guy,” he said. “So I knew many of these students. Dadeville is a small town and this is going to affect everybody in this area.”
On Sunday, investigators continued to file in and out of the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, which is identified by a banner hung on the outside of a one-story brick structure just off the square. The American and Alabama flags were lowered to half-staff outside the Tallapoosa County Courthouse, which was less than a block away.
“This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement posted on social media.
The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting and that it was closely watching the situation and had reached out to local politicians and law police to provide assistance.
On the same night, two individuals were killed and four others were injured after shots were fired into a crowd of hundreds gathered at Chickasaw Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, on the same night, a gunshot on the campus of Lincoln University in Chester County forced the university to shut down. Two persons were hurt and sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, but the suspect remained at large as of early April 16.