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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Andrea Blanco,Joe Sommerlad and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Alabama shooting - live: Phil Dowdell died saving sister’s life during Dadeville party massacre

Reuters/Facebook/Newtown Action Alliance
Four killed, several injured after shooting at birthday party in Alabama

A high school football star who was among the four killed in a mass shooting in Alabama, died while saving his sister’s life.

Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, pushed his sister Alexis Dowdell, when the gunfire erupted at her ‘Sweet 16’ birthday party on Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in downtown Dadeville.

“I guess he tried to push me out the door as fast as he could, but I ended up slipping on blood, because it was a whole bunch of blood on the floor,” Alexis told Associated Press.

Marsiah Collins, Corbin Holston and KeKe Nicole Smith have been named as the three other victims of the mass shooting that left four dead and 28 injured.

Of the wounded, 15 are understood to be teenagers, six of whom have since been discharged from hospital. Of the remaining nine, four are said to be in stable condition and five are critical.

“It was a very sad, sad scene,” said Ben Hayes, senior pastor at Dadeville First Baptist Church and team chaplain of Dadeville High School. “A very rough night.”

No arrests have been made as the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency described the situation as “very fluid”.

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