Saturday Evening News of Another Mass Shooting in Louisville, Kentucky at Chickasaw Park Where Two People were Shot and Killed and Four Others were Wounded; Comes Less Than a Week after a Mass Shooting at a Louisville Bank where Five People were Killed and Eight Others were Wounded
According to Gun Violence Archive, the US has Suffered at least 163 Mass Shootings in the First 15 Weeks of 2023; An Average of More than 1.5 Mass Shootings Every Day So Far This Year
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement in response to a mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama late Saturday evening. Details are still developing but according to reports, gunfire broke out at a Sweet 16 birthday party leaving at least four people dead and multiple others wounded. This shooting also comes on the heels of another mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky at Chickasaw Park on Saturday evening in which two people were shot and killed and four others were wounded, less than a week after a mass shooting at a Louisville bank where five people were killed and eight others were wounded. There have been eighteen mass shootings nationwide in the past week.
“First Nashville, then Louisville, now Dadeville — our communities are in endless cycles of grief from these senseless acts of gun violence,” said Paula Wilson, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are heartbroken for the families and friends that gathered to celebrate a milestone birthday, and the entire Dadeville community that joins the many cities left to pick up the pieces from yet another mass shooting in our country. Meanwhile, state lawmakers across the South continue to weaken our gun laws and ignore our pleas for gun safety laws that will save lives. We are fed up but we will continue to show up to demand our lawmakers pass common sense gun safety laws to keep us safe.”
Despite the fact that Alabama has some of the weakest gun laws in the country, the legislature recently weakened its laws even further by passing permitless carry and continues to introduce other harmful legislation including a bill to expand Shoot First — or Stand Your Ground — in churches. In 2018, Governor Kay Ivey signed a memo authorizing school administrators to have guns at schools if they qualify under the Alabama Sentry Program, enabling schools to arm teachers.
In an average year, 1,149 people die by guns in Alabama. Gun violence costs Alabama $15.4 billion each year. More information on gun violence in Alabama is available here.
If you would like to speak with a local Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer or a policy expert, please don’t hesitate to reach out.