DADEVILLE, Ala. — A team manager for an Alabama high school was one of the four people killed during Saturday night’s mass shooting at a dance studio in the small town of Dadeville, her coach said Sunday.
Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, a senior at Dadeville High School, died when gunfire erupted at Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio on Saturday night, AL.com reported. The other person identified so far by family members is three-sport high school star Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
The Tallapoosa County coroner on Monday identified the people killed in Saturday’s shooting, WSFA-TV and AL.com reported. In addition to Smith and Dowdell, the coroner also said that Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19; and Corbin Dehmontrey Holston, 23, were killed.
Smith was a volleyball player and team manager for the high school’s track team, the track coach, Michael Taylor, told The New York Times. Smith’s cousin, Amy Jackson, confirmed her death in a Facebook post.
KeKe Nicole Smith, a senior at Dadeville High, has been identified as one of the four people killed in a mass shooting at a teen's birthday party in the Alabama town. https://t.co/ENCv7wq8Vs
— AL.com (@aldotcom) April 16, 2023
“Give us strength and understanding Mighty God. Praying for all loved ones that have lost their life or were injured,” Jackson wrote on Facebook. “We love you, Ke.”
Taylor told The Outlook of Alexander City that Smith was “just full of life.”
“She was full of love,” Taylor told the newspaper. “Just like Phil, she was very very humble and she had this huge smile like Phil had. She would joke around all the time, and she got onto all of us -- even me.”
Taylor said Smith played volleyball and softball until her junior year, The Outlook reported. She then tore her ACL and decided to become a team manager after she recovered from her injury, according to the newspaper.
Taylor said that classes would be in session on Monday, the Times reported. He said he was trying to figure out what to say to the students.
“Bottom line, we’ve got to pray our way out of this and give it time,” Taylor told the newspaper. “That’s the only way out.”
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