My name is Kaitlin Fleming Hoskins. You’ve seen my byline appear in this paper for the last couple of weeks.

Before coming to the St. Clair News-Aegis, I was managing editor for the newspapers division of Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., which covers the small city of Dadeville, Ala. — a city that you have probably heard about recently.

For nearly two years I was heavily involved in the community’s triumphs and saw very little in the way of heartbreak for the city. A fatal car accident, destructive tornado or the passing of a beloved community member would bring the tightly knit community even closer together.

What happened on April 15 has surely been no exception to that observation.

I could say that Dadeville is a strong community that will recover from the deadly shooting that took place at that sweet 16 birthday party. And that statement would be true. But I hate that I even have an opportunity to say it.

I hate that a wonderful community — or any community — has to endure something so horrific.

Instead of saying Dadeville is strong and will recover, I will say that Dadeville should have never experienced this. The four people killed and the 32 others injured should be alive and well. It was a birthday party.

Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, a 23-year-old from Dadeville.

Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, a 19-year-old from Opelika.

Philstavious Dowdell, an 18-year-old from Camp Hill and a senior at Dadeville High School.

Shaunkivia (KeKe) Nicole Smith, a 17-year-old senior at Dadeville High School.

These individuals were known by people in the community for a multitude of amazing reasons. I personally knew one.

A lot of media outlets have already talked about Philstavious Dowdell, who most people called Phil, and his future at Jacksonville State University. I know Phil for his past at Dadeville High School.

Phil was often featured in the newspapers I worked on. He was a star athlete and an all around amazing kid. When sports editors would talk to him, he was always giving credit for his achievements to someone else, always lifting up someone else and always humble about his wins. He was also kind in the hard fought loses.

Phil was funny, too, and loved by the whole community. Every week when he was a candidate in the paper’s Player of the Week poll, he won.

As journalists, we were always supposed to be unbiased and obviously not have favorite athletes, but we bent the rule for Phil.

During football season, we watched from the sidelines as Phil, Daquan Doss and Antojuan “Ant” Woody — and the rest of the Tigers — gave all that they had and more.

That was Phil. Giving everything for someone else. Just like he gave his life to push his little sister out of danger when shots erupted at her birthday party.

You have probably noticed that I used his first name instead of his last name. Typically in news stories, reporters use last names on second reference. This time I chose to use his first. It feels more personable and more human.

I don’t want anyone to forget the human lives lost that day or the senseless violence that shook a city I love.

I know that national media outlets have moved on to the next mass shooting — which seems to happen daily at this point — and that local media outlets will continue to cover the horrific events of April 15, 2023. I am forever thankful for local newspapers.

At this point in the investigation, six individuals have been arrested and charged with reckless murder. The Dadeville Police Department and assisting agencies have been very tight-lipped about the investigation and that has raised many eyebrows across the state and the nation. I know the local agencies want justice for the victims and their families. I also know how easy it is to criticize the slow moving wheels of small police departments, especially when they can’t answer questions the public wants to know.

Dadeville leaders, such as police Chief Jonathan Floyd, Mayor Jimmy “Frank” Goodman and others, have gotten a lot of heat about the lack of information in the first days following the shooting. And rightfully so. There is a right way to handle events like this. The right way does not involve keeping an entire community in the dark with press conferences that do nothing but restate the same point over and over in an attempt to look transparent.

I mean no disrespect. I can say with absolute certainty that Dadeville was not prepared for this. The locals leaders and the residents as a whole truly never thought this would happen. I am guilty of thinking it would never happen to such a sweet and small town. It should have never happened, but at this point, I think every municipality should be prepared for this. It seems like it is only a matter of time until it happens in a town you know.

I will always remember April 15, 2023. It is coincidentally the day that I married the love of my life, and the day the world lost Philstavious, KeKe, Marsiah and Corbin.

Kaitlin Fleming Hoskins is a reporter for the St. Clair News-Aegis. She may be reached by email at kfleming@newsaegis.com.