Alabama shooting: Man, 23, killed at party was checking on family member, mother says

DADEVILLE, Ala. — A 23-year-old man who was killed at a Sweet 16 party in a small Alabama town was checking on a younger relative who was concerned there might be trouble, his mother said.

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Corbin Dahmontrey Holston was one of four people fatally shot Saturday night when gunfire erupted inside the Mahogany Masterpiece, a dance studio in Dadeville. Officials on Monday night revised the number of injured victims from 28 to 32.

Also killed were Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18; Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17; and Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19. Dowdell and Smith were seniors at Dadeville High School while Collins graduated from Opelika High School in 2022, AL.com reported.

Holston’s mother, Janett Heard, told AL.com that Holston did not originally attend the party, but went to the venue after receiving a call from his relative.

“Out of concern for other family members, Corbin responded to the party to ensure their safety but unfortunately encountered the suspects,’’ Heard told the news outlet. “Corbin was selfless when it came to his family and friends and always tried to be a protector.

“That’s just the type of person he was.”

Another family member, who asked not to be identified, told AL.com that, “if not for the concern of the family member, he would not have been there.”

The family members said that Holston was able to pull his relative to safety before he was killed.

Holston graduated from Dadeville High School in 2018. His former football coach, Richard White, remembered Holston as a hard worker who never gave his coaches any trouble.

“Good, polite young man,” White told The Outlook newspaper of Alexander City. “Worked hard in athletics, always trying to please his coaches. I never had an ounce of trouble from him when he was in school. (He) comes from a good family.”

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Dadeville: A mourner holds a candle during Sunday's vigil in Dadeville, Alabama. Residents of the small town gathered to pray for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting. ( Megan Varner/Getty Images)