# 'Lives tragically lost': 4 dead, multiple injured in Dadeville, Alabama **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752 "2023-04-16T21:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/1 "2023-04-16T21:26:09Z")
just found this… jesus yet another one > **['Lives tragically lost': 4 dead, multiple injured in Dadeville, Alabama,...](https://www.aol.com/shooting-leaves-4-dead-multiple-142218276.html)** > > Police on Sunday were investigating a shooting that left at least four people dead and multiple others injured in Dadeville, northeast of Montgomery. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/2 "2023-04-16T21:31:17Z")
Fuck off with any “thoughts and prayers.”. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/3 "2023-04-16T21:34:52Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Fuck off with any “thoughts and prayers.”. - But it’s all they’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/4 "2023-04-16T21:56:38Z")
What can you do? The gunfire “erupted”, the shooting “happened”, it was a birthday party. “The city of Dadeville is a tight-knit community full of wonderful people,” but “Dadeville was hit by at least one prior mass shooting when a gunman on Aug. 28, 2016, wounded five people during a party at the American Legion Hall.” Not bad for a population of about 3,000 people. But it’s alright now: “the person is no longer a threat to the community.” (All “quotes” from the linked article. It sounds so normal, I can’t get my head around it. But I live on the wrong side of the Atlantic to fathom that stuff, I guess). ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/5 "2023-04-16T23:00:34Z")
Even a few years ago, if I’d seen the portion of that headline that shows in the thread, I wouldn’t have immediately thought ‘is this another shooting’? I’d have wondered if something accidentally blew up, or if there’d been a horrible car accident. My mind wouldn’t have gone immediately to deliberate murder. I remember being quite relieved when we somehow survived the 20th century (which a lot of people didn’t, of course, and not all of them died of accident or illness.) I wasn’t expecting the 21st to be worse. From the article: > “This has been an unspeakable week of tragedy for our city,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at the press conference Saturday night. "This is not our city. This is not who we are. This is not who we want to be. … " It may not be what we want to be. But it is who we are. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/6 "2023-04-16T23:26:28Z")
From the article: > [@](#): > > “One of the young men that was killed was one of our star athletes and just a great guy. So I knew many of these students. Dadeville is a small town and this is going to affect everybody in this area,” Hayes said. Maybe now that a good American boy™ has been killed, there’ll be consequences… (Sorry, I’m too cynical for these threads) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/7 "2023-04-16T23:29:34Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > What can you do? The gunfire “erupted”, the shooting “happened”, it was a birthday party. Passive voice is great for avoiding assignment of responsibility to any particular person or party even by influence or association. We can just spread around the culpability and sardonically repost the “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” article from _The Onion_, and with a little bit of T&P™ just move on…except for those impacted by the shooting, of course, They’re going to need an extra dose of prayers. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/8 "2023-04-17T00:40:51Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > What can you do? The gunfire “erupted”, the shooting “happened”, it was a birthday party. > > Passive voice is great for avoiding assignment of responsibility to any particular person or party even by influence or association. Yeah, but . . . if it just “erupted” and “happened” without any specific human agency – Then the problem’s got to be the guns, doesn’t it? _Doesn’t it_? – I was going to say that I expected crickets on that subject, out of Alabama. But that isn’t actually true, is it? I expect a lot of people are screaming that in Alabama. Some of them even might on the floor of their House. Problem is with the ones who aren’t listening. And of course it’s not only the guns; it’s the attitude that shooting people with them is a good solution to problems. But hard as it’s going to be to get some control of the guns, it’s going to be even harder to get control of that attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/9 "2023-04-17T02:15:26Z")
Were there not enough guns at the party? were the children armed? What calibers? The children must be protected! More guns! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/10 "2023-04-17T03:11:36Z")
We’re discussing this extensively on a true-crime website. We all pretty much agree that the perp(s) are probably unnamed so far because they’re minors themselves, and/or are dead, and/or are relatives of law enforcement OR LEOs themselves. That the town is about 50% black, and it appears many if not most of the victims are too, isn’t helping things. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/11 "2023-04-17T05:11:17Z")
you know i cant remember exactly when but I made a thread one time asking if we were going to get as blase about these events as Isreal/the middle east does about mass shootings and bombings … sad to say I think my prophecy’s fulfilled … ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/12 "2023-04-17T13:35:36Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > get as blase about these events as Isreal/the middle east does about mass shootings and bombings In the '80s I was talking to someone who had immigrated from Northern Ireland and I asked him what it was like with the bombings etc. He said that it was just like here (Canada) with traffic deaths. So it’s obviously possible, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/13 "2023-04-19T15:48:28Z")
> **[2 teens arrested in Alabama Sweet 16 shooting that killed 4 and injured 32](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-boys-17-16-arrested-connection-deadly-shooting-alabama-sweet-16-rcna80404)** > > Four people were killed and 32 injured in the gunfire that erupted at the celebration. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/14 "2023-04-19T17:43:09Z")
And they were charged with reckless murder which carries a 10 year to life penalty. Another example of a reckless murder charge was: > **[2-Year-Old Alabama Boy Dies in Car, Father Charged with Reckless Murder](https://people.com/crime/alabama-boy-dies-car-father-charged-reckless-murder/)** > > Shawn Rounsavall allegedly forgot to drop the toddler off at his daycare in the morning Frankly this seems to me to be a very lightweight charge for 4 people dead and 32 injured–and it looks like first degree murder to me. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/15 "2023-04-19T17:51:13Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Frankly this seems to me to be a very lightweight charge for 4 people dead and 32 injured–and it looks like first degree murder to me. This article on the charges describes “reckless murder” in Alabama: > [@](#): > > According to Alabama law, reckless murder is defined as a murder “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he/she recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself/herself, and thereby causes the death of another person,” > **[What is considered reckless murder?](https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/news/what-is-considered-reckless-murder/article_cb61673a-ded1-11ed-bb79-0fd6375e00a1.html)** > > Defining reckless murder, the charge given to two of the teenagers that were arrested in relation to the Dadeville mass shooting. It appears that “reckless murder” is considered to be an even more serious charge than a “normal” murder charge (which _also_ has a potential penalty of 10 years to life). A little digging suggests to me that the Alabama criminal code may not have specific degrees of murder, other than “reckless” versus “normal.” [https://www.samdixonlaw.com/murder](https://www.samdixonlaw.com/murder) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/16 "2023-04-19T18:06:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A little digging suggests to me that the Alabama criminal code may not have specific degrees of murder, other than “reckless” versus “normal.” Confirming, based on the site below – Alabama law has three classes of homicide charges. In descending order of seriousness, they are: - Murder - Manslaughter - Criminally negligent homicide It does appear (though this article doesn’t mention it) that “reckless murder” is a more serious version of the standard murder charge in that state. > **[Alabama’s Criminal Laws — Murder, Manslaughter, & Criminally Negligent...](https://www.alabamapardonlawyerblog.com/alabamas-criminal-laws-murder-manslaughter-criminally-negligent-homicide/)** > > Alabama law recognizes three levels of culpability, and three separate offenses that can be charged. These charges are, in descending order of seriousness, Murder, Manslaughter, and Criminally ... ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/17 "2023-04-19T20:01:58Z")
Wikipedia lists three levels: Manslaughter: 2–20 years Murder: 10–99 years (20–99 years if using deadly weapon) or life with parole Capital Murder: Death or Life without parole So Capital Murder is the most serious charge–and it wasn’t used in this case. > **[Murder in Alabama law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_in_Alabama_law)** > > Murder in Alabama constitutes the intentional killing, under circumstances defined by law, of people within or under the jurisdiction of the U.S. state of Alabama. > The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the year 2020, Alabama had the third-highest rate of homicides in the country. > In Alabama, the common law felony murder rule has been codified in Alabama Code § 13A-6-2(a)(3). It provides that when a person commits various crimes and "in the course of and... ---
**Author:** ![Falchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/18 "2023-04-19T20:07:32Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So Capital Murder is the most serious charge–and it wasn’t used in this case. It looks like there are [21 specific elements](https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-13a-criminal-code/al-code-sect-13a-5-40.html) that can be used to constitute capital murder in Alabama. I’m not sure that any of them fit here. Did you have one in mind? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/19 "2023-04-19T20:10:34Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So Capital Murder is the most serious charge–and it wasn’t used in this case. This blog seems to have information on “capital murder” in Alabama, and it appears that capital murder is specific to committing murder when there is another circumstance, such as: - A murder committed while in the commission of another felony crime (such as kidnapping or rape) - A murder where the victim is a law enforcement officer or a public official - A murder involving shooting into a dwelling or a vehicle - A murder where the victim was involved in a criminal proceeding, such as a witness who would be testifying in a trial - A murder where the victim was under 14 years old - A murder where the accused has previously been convicted of another murder I suspect that, in this case, none of the extenuating circumstances which define “capital murder” applied. [https://www.samdixonlaw.com/capital-murder](https://www.samdixonlaw.com/capital-murder) _Edit: ninja’d by Falchion_ ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752/20 "2023-04-19T20:22:18Z")
> [@Falchion](#): > > Did you have one in mind? Yes: (10) Murder wherein two or more persons are murdered by the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct. Although with Supreme Court decisions (as they are juveniles) they could not be sentenced to death and would have to be eligible to be considered for parole within a few decades. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lives-tragically-lost-4-dead-multiple-injured-in-dadeville-alabama/982752.md?page=2)