Alabama birthday party shooting: 18-year-old died saving sister's life
Phil was among the four dead while 32 others were injured in the shooting.
Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18-year-old local student-athlete weeks away from graduation, died saving his sister Alexis' life after a shooting occurred at her birthday party last Saturday (April 15). Phil was among the four dead while 32 others were injured in the shooting. Speaking to the news agency Associated Press on Monday (April 17), Alexis said, “I got on my knees and he was laying face down. And that’s when I grabbed him. I turned him over, I was holding him.”
She tapped Phil's face, begging him to, “stay with me.” Alexis told the news agency that she was not crying at the moment as she was trying to be strong instead of panicking.
"You’re going to be all right. You’re a fighter, you’re strong,” the 16-year-old added.
Phil Dowdell was set to attend Jacksonville State University on a football scholarship. Remembering the 18-year-old, Jacksonville head coach Rich Rodriguez said, "He was a great young man with a bright future. My staff and I are heartbroken."
This shooting incident in Alabama is another high-profile mass shooting in the United States. The four people killed on Saturdaywere high school seniors.
There is no official word on what led to the gun violence and authorities have not said whether they detained any suspects or the shooter remained at large or died in Saturday's gunfire.
Jessica Ware, a friend of one of the victims, told the news agency Reuters on Monday that the community was "devastated, worried and scared" to know a suspect could still be at large.
On the night of the shooting, Ware drove to Dadeville's Lake Martin community hospital upon learning the daughter of one of her friends had been at the party and had survived.
Ware said that there were armed people at the party who were asked to leave but chose not to.
“So I am learning that people knew there were guns there and they (armed people) were asked to leave, but they chose not to,” she said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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