Dadeville football player bound for Jacksonville State killed at sister’s birthday party, pastor says
Dadeville #Dadeville
A pastor in Dadeville said as many as 250 people were outside an east Alabama hospital early this morning to hear word of loved ones injured or killed in a shooting at a 16th birthday party.
Ben Hayes is the senior pastor at Dadeville First Baptist Church, and is team chaplain of Dadeville High School and chaplain of Dadeville police.
“It was a very sad, sad scene,” he said. “A very rough night.”
Four people are dead and as many as 20 reportedly injured following a shooting at a birthday party in Dadeville Saturday night, according to multiple reports.
Hayes said one of the victims was Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville football player who had recently committed to Jacksonville State University to play wide receiver. The birthday party was for Dowdell’s sister, according to Hayes.
On April 8, Dowdell posted on Facebook, “Everyday my life go up & up, it’s hard for me to get mad”
Michael Taylor, assistant coach in football, basketball and track at Dadeville High, was on the scene this morning.
He said Dowdell, a slot receiver, was one of the best football players in the state. He was also an honor student who played basketball and won state honors in track in 2022.
”It’s a small town. We don’t have too many crimes like this, at all. So it’s shocking, very shocking. Very shocking,” Taylor said.
Hayes said he did not know what touched off the shooting, other than some argument.
“This is a good family in our community, good kids,” a shaken Hayes said this morning. “Some of the best people heading this party.”
Earlier this morning he stood with scores of people inside and outside Lake Martin Community Hospital as they huddled waiting on some word on loved ones and friends.
“There were probably 250 people there, family, kids, neighbors,” he said. “This is a close community. They let family into the lobby. The police had asked me to be there to help comfort and for crowd control.”
This morning, Hayes said community members gathered at church to pray for Dadeville. A prayer vigil is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at the church.
“We wanted to let God work on the hearts of people,” he said.
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