Police have confirmed that four people have been killed and several others injured during a shooting at a birthday party in Alabama on Saturday night.
WRBL-TV reported the shooting occurred at Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in Dadeville with images showing the crime scene tape around the building and those neighbouring.
A heavy police presence could be seen as the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed the shooting happened at about 10.30pm.
It was not immediately known if a suspect was in custody and there was no initial confirmation about what led to the shooting.
Sgt Jeremy Burkett said: “There were four lives tragically lost in this incident and there’s been a multitude of injuries.”
Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and for the local high school football team, said most of the victims were teenagers because the shooting occurred at a birthday party for a 16-year-old.
He said the shooting has rocked the small town where serious crime is rare.
“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,” Mr Hayes said.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement posted on social media: “This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge.”
The Tallapoosa County school system said counselling will be available for students at the schools Monday, the school superintendent, Raymond C Porter, said.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, the White House said, adding that it is closely monitoring the situation and has been in touch with local officials and law enforcement to offer support.
Dadeville is about 57 miles (92 kilometres) northeast of Montgomery, the state capital of Alabama, and has a population of 3,200.
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