DADEVILLE (Ala.) — Raven Tolbert is a Dadeville native who returned to her hometown to realize her dream to open a dance school, Mahogany Masterpiece. The studio will be devoted to children and young people.
The red brick building located on Broadnax Street, across from the police station and courthouse, in the heart of the city, was turned into a carnage scene on April 15. The storefront is decorated with flowers in place of its vinyl sign. Six gunmen opened fire on 89 times that Saturday night during a Sweet 16 Party. In a matter seconds, they shattered a small community.
Shooters killed Shaunkivia, 17, and Philstavious Dowdell (18), students at Dadeville High; Marsiah, 19, from nearby Opelika, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston (23), who was a graduate of Dadeville High School in 2018. The residents of this small town of 3100 people located 90 miles south of Birmingham have rallied together to mourn the loss of their loved ones. They also pray for the recovery and safety of the 32 other injured.
Tolbert stated, “It breaks me to my core.”
The scene weeks after the shooting at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio.
Curtis Bunn / NBC News
Six weeks after this shooting, the pall that hung over the small town is slowly lifting. Business doors and mailboxes are decorated with black and gold bows that represent the colors of the high school. This is a sign that the community remains united in its grief. A sign painted on a storefront says: “Dadeville Strong.”
Tasha, Woodward’s daughter, who is recovering from being shot, said, “It’s hard to believe, even after some time, that something like that could happen in a small place like this.” Woodward refused to talk about the incident, and she did not reveal her daughter’s identity. It hurts to speak about it. Everyone has been hurting because we all know each other.
Martin Collins is also hurting, as his son Marsiah did not survive the fire. Collins, an ex-U.S. Marine who is currently in his third year at Southern University Law School in Baton Rouge in Louisiana, had encouraged his son, Marsiah, to enroll in Louisiana State University near Baton Rouge where he was scheduled to start this fall. Marsiah, a recent high school graduate from Dadeville, was reluctant to move away. In April, he sent his father a text message saying: “You are right.” Collins was thrilled. He told his son that he would come to Dadeville and bring him with him back to Louisiana by mid-May. Few days later, Collins’ son had left. Collins said, “I can’t stop but think I should have brought him last year.” He’d be still alive.”
Woodward expressed her “blessedness” at the fact that her daughter has survived. She has her good and bad days, both physically and emotionally. “But the love that the community has shown me has been more than what I expected,” said she. It’s okay if people forget about us after hearing about the events here. We will get through it together.
According to the latest Census Bureau statistics, 45% of Dadeville’s residents are black. In this rural community there is only one high school. Most people are employed in manufacturing plants or shop at Dollar General and Piggly-Wiggly. The median household income is $24,722.
Another group of people are Auburn football fans. A second group is fans of Auburn. It’s a friendly competition, because so many people are related to each other or have known them all their lives, said Ricky Harris.
He said, “I knew all of the kids who were shot.” “You see this happening everywhere but not here. It has happened. It has hurt us but also brought us closer together.”
On Thursday evening, emotions were exploding at the graduation ceremony. The whole graduating class wore buttons and shawls made to commemorate the two seniors that were supposed cross the stage on Thursday night. Smith’s and Dowdell’s parents walked the route intended for their children, while wearing cap and gowns. In the seats that their senior photos would have been occupying, they placed headshots of them. Tears poured.
Mason Jamison said, “I am a grown man but I cried like an infant.” He moved to Dadeville three years ago from Montgomery “because I liked the smaller town and its feel. I didn’t personally know the victims, but I felt the pain in the community. I felt I had to pay my respects and be with the people to hug someone because we were all hurting.”
Collins said that the pain he feels at times is palpable. He’s just starting to be able to eat multiple times a day. He has fleeting moments of feeling OK, but then the reality hits him. He remembered receiving a phone call from a family member about the shooting. Marsiah’s phone was tracked immediately. It indicated that the phone was located in the same building as the shooting. He recognized his son when someone posted an image on Twitter of the gory scene of bodies lying on the floor.
I could tell by the body language. I just knew,” Collins, 40, said. “None one of those children deserved to be killed in that way. I did everything I could to protect Marsiah. Then he’s shot at a birthday party? It’s a devastating situation.”
Collins is furious about the gun violence plaguing this country. He has fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, and knows “what an weapon can do to the human body,” Collins said. “These kids are running away and shooting without seeing the damage that a bullet can cause.”
Collins wanted to see Marsiah when he went to the morgue. Collins was told not to do so, but insisted. I wanted to see how they treated my son. He was shot 5 times including in the face. In the surreal moment, I remembered how much his mother and me had spent on braces when he was a child. He had a gorgeous smile. “It was so bizarre that I thought they had messed with my son’s smile.”
“That is how terrible this is.” Collins’ voice trailed. “I was there, talking to my child, as if he were here, knowing that he couldn’t reply me back.” Collins’ voice slowed down.
A grand jury, which had already charged the suspects with murder on four counts, issued additional charges against five of six suspects. Charges include assault against the survivors.
Collins said that justice would take care of the attackers. “In Dadeville they will look after each other. They are in pain. I know. I always tell people that things can change within a split second. “I can be fine one second and the next, bang, I’m having anxiety or in tears.”
Woodward relates.
She said “It is hard”, “Dadeville, a small community, is in pain.” We are getting closer. We are closer than I thought. It will always hurt. We can stick together, hug each other, and overcome this nightmare. Together.”
