US Town Mourning Teens Shot At Birthday Party

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

DADEVILLE, USA (Worthy News) – A vigil was underway Sunday in the U.S. state of Alabama, where authorities said a shooting at a 16th birthday party killed at least four people and injured numerous others.

The gunfire erupted late Saturday in the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in the rural town of Dadeville, which was converted from the old Bank of Dadeville two years ago, several sources said.

“This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians,” state governor Kay Ivey said.

“Violent crime has no place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge,” the governor added in a statement on the social network site Twitter.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the shooting happened at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. A photo taken by a witness showed the bodies of teens.

Yet, there was no initial indication about what led to the incident, and it was not immediately known whether a suspect was detained.

As many as 20 people may have been shot at the gathering, reports said, making Americans wonder when the continuous mass shootings in the nation would end.

PASTOR MOURNING

Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and the local high school football team, confirmed that most of the victims were teens.

He said the shooting, which occurred at a birthday party for a 16-year-old, has shaken the small town of just over 3,000 people.

The Alabama incident follows a shooting on the same day at a park in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed two people and injured four others, reports said

Dadeville was hit by at least one prior mass shooting when a gunman on August 28, 2016, wounded five people during a party at the American Legion Hall.

In the latest Dadeville attack, “One of the young men that was killed was one of our star athletes and just a great guy,” recalled Pastor Hayes.

“So I knew many of these students. Dadeville is a small town, and this is going to affect everybody in this area.”

Many more Americans have been grieving with more than 140 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year.

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