Alabama Sweet 16 shooting victims have been identified

The final two victims killed when gunshots broke out at a “Sweet Sixteen” celebration in Dadeville, Alabama, on Saturday have been identified as an aspiring musician and a man previously arrested for having a pistol without a permit.

Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox identified the two remaining victims as Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, and Corbin Dahmontery Holston, 23, on Monday, two days after the bloody melee left four dead and at least 28 people wounded, with some now in critical condition, AL.com reported.

Collins had played defensive end for Opelika High School before graduating last year.

He was taking a gap year to pursue a career in music but had plans to attend Louisiana State University in the fall and live with his father, who is pursuing a law degree at LSU.

“He was a great big brother to his sisters,” Collins’ father, Martin Collins, told AL.com. “He was a funny, charismatic kid who loved to light up a room.”

The other newly identified victim, Holston, reportedly graduated from Dadeville High School in 2018, according to social media posts.

Holston was arrested in February last year for possessing a pistol without a permit. He was held in Coosa County Jail but released on a $6,500 bond, according to public records.

The two other victims, Phil Dowell, 18, and Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17, who were both seniors at Dadeville High School, were previously identified by their friends and family. The party was for Dowdell’s sister Alexis.

Dowdell, who recently committed to playing wide receiver at Jacksonville State University this fall, was remembered as the “No. 1 athlete in the school” by his former coach, Michael Taylor.

Smith was also a senior at Dadeville High School and a former athlete. She had played volleyball and softball until she tore her ACL her junior year, prompting her to become the manager of the school’s basketball and track teams, Taylor told the Alexander City Outlook.

“She was full of love,” Taylor said. “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.”

The violence broke out around 10:30 p.m. at the Mohagany Masterpiece dance studio downtown, about 60 miles outside the state capital, Montgomery.

Police have not revealed any information on the suspect other than to say the shooter is no longer a threat to the community. They also have yet to reveal a motive, only imploring the public to come forward with what they know.

“We’ve got to have information from the community,” Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy Burkett said during a Sunday night briefing.

After the bloodshed, frantic parents in the small town of about 3,000 went from hospital to hospital to try to find their children.

Six of the shot teens were treated at a local hospital and released, while nine others were transferred to different facilities, with five in critical condition and four stable, officials said. ​

In an emotional statement following the tragedy, President Biden asked: “What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear?

“When parents have to worry every time their kids walk out the door to school, to the movie theater, or to the park?” he said, also decrying another Saturday night shooting that left two people dead in a Louisville park.

“Guns are the leading killer of children in America, and the numbers are rising — not declining,” the president said. “This is outrageous and unacceptable. Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms.”

Multiple law enforcement agencies have been assisting the Dadeville Police Department, including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation and the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office.