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As It Occurs6:40College students killed in Alabama capturing had shiny futures forward of them, says pastor
Pastor Ben Hayes says he is making an attempt to assist his grieving group — emotionally, spiritually and financially.
Hayes is senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dadeville, Ala., the place 4 younger individuals have been killed and dozens extra injured in a capturing at a Candy 16 party on Saturday night time.
The useless embody Shaunkivia Nicole (Keke) Smith, 17, Philstavious (Phil) Dowdell, 18, Marsiah Emmanuel (Siah) Collins, 19, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, the county coroner stated Monday. The get together was for Dowdell’s sister’s birthday.
Authorities have been tight-lipped in regards to the investigation to this point. It is not clear who might have began the capturing and why, or whether or not police have made any arrests. Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Regulation Enforcement Company didn’t take questions throughout information conferences Sunday, and officers repeatedly requested others to come back ahead with info on the capturing.
Hayes — who has been speaking to survivors — described the shooter as male, and stated the children on the get together that he is spoken to did not acknowledge him.
Hayes is the senior pastor at Dadeville First Baptist Church, and serves because the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Division and the Dadeville Excessive College soccer crew. He personally knew two of the victims. Right here is a part of his dialog on Monday afternoon with As It Occurs host Nil Köksal.
Pastor Hayes, I am so sorry that this has occurred to you and your group. How are you holding up this morning?
We’re drained. We’re drained bodily [and] emotionally. However in my journeys across the group this morning, we’re holding up surprisingly nicely.
We’re seeing the names of 4 individuals killed within the capturing, 4 younger individuals. What are you able to inform us in regards to the younger individuals you knew?
I knew Phil Dowdell [and] Keke. Each of those have been athletes at our highschool.
I didn’t know Keke very nicely. I knew her by sight and speaking to her. She was a supervisor for some groups and he or she was a particular type of individual, as a result of she would do something on this planet for you. She helped out in all places she may.
Phil I knew since I used to be the chaplain of the Dadeville soccer crew. Phil was a shiny star. He had an incredible future forward of him. Phil had a smile that when he walked right into a room, simply brightened it up. He had a character such as you would not consider. A powerful competitor on the sector, however only a nice man off the sector. Everyone liked him. Everyone revered him.
WATCH | Dadeville trainer remembers Phil Dowdell throughout vigil:
All the pieces I have been studying underlines what you’ve got simply stated. You realize, these each sound like younger individuals who have been so concerned in every part they like to do, concerned of their group. What sorts of issues have been they planning for the following steps of their lives?
Phil had acquired a scholarship to play soccer at Jacksonville State College right here in Alabama. So he was going to go far. Phil was most likely one of the gifted athletes of this graduating class within the state of Alabama.
And Keke … I do know that she had a shiny future simply due to her character, due to her power, her vitality. I feel she, too, would have went far.
How did you discover out in regards to the capturing?
I acquired a telephone name. I used to be in mattress, asleep, about 11:30 on Saturday night time. I used to be informed that there had been a capturing and that Phil was useless. I instantly reached out to our chief of police, since I am the chaplain for the Dadeville cops, and requested if there was any means that I may assist. And he stated he wanted me to go to the hospital to assist with crowd management.
What was the scene there like?
Once I arrived, there have been most likely 250 individuals within the parking zone. Automobiles have been in all places. Ambulances have been in all places. Members of the family, mates, a few of the college students — some who had been on the get together, some who had heard what had occurred — have been there.
It was lots of grief, lots of disappointment, lots of shock. This sort of factor does not occur in Dadeville, so nobody was anticipating it. We do not have these sorts of issues right here. And so it is a kind of conditions the place you get there and also you’re simply a part of the group as a result of everyone seems to be simply shocked and doesn’t know what to do.
And it is a small place, a really related place, proper? Just some thousand individuals dwell there?
We’ve slightly over 3,000 individuals right here in Dadeville. The encompassing group is way bigger…. However it’s a small city. It’s a very close-knit group. Everyone is aware of all people. And lots of of us are associated to others.
However as a result of we’re so shut knit, we’re a really sturdy group.
Have you ever had an opportunity to talk, pastor, to any of the victims’ households, their mother and father?
As a pastor, I had a full day on Sunday after which we did a prayer vigil for the group on Sunday night time.
I’ve not had a possibility to speak to the fast [family]. I’ve talked to prolonged households — aunts, uncles, cousins, these sorts of issues.
What was your Sunday service like?
Very sombre to start with, however we consider that there is hope.
We’re a faith-based bunch of parents down right here in Alabama and we consider that our hope goes past this world and goes past the tragedies of this world. And so whereas we have been unhappy, we have been additionally excited. We had a good time of worship as we celebrated life, as we talked about how we may make it by means of this very troublesome time with our religion in Christ, and the way we may use that to assist these round us.
Have authorities informed you something a few suspect or suspects?
As a chaplain for the Dadeville Police Division and a sworn officer, I am not at liberty to share any of that info.
OK. The investigation is ongoing?
The investigation is ongoing. We’re asking the general public to offer any video feeds, any photos that they could have of what befell.
I’ll let you know that the scholars that I talked to, personally, noticed the person and they didn’t know him. And that leads us to consider that he was not from our group, as a result of, as I say, this can be a small city and all people is aware of all people.
What’s going to you do subsequent, now, on your group?
We’re making an attempt to get the phrase out that we’re right here to assist them. We’re elevating cash for the households. Simply perceive that almost all of us don’t carry life insurance coverage insurance policies on our kids, and so there can be excessive prices concerned in offering funerals for these households. There are going to be medical prices incurred. And we’re simply making an attempt to handle these wants by elevating cash for them.
We’re going to be accessible on the faculties. We’ll be working with the college system to be there together with different psychological well being suppliers. And we will have an ongoing presence in our group making an attempt to assist all of our individuals to cope with this vital stress incident that befell on Saturday night time.
With information from The Related Press. Interview produced by Katie Geleff. Q&A edited for size and readability.
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