Young and old from the city of Dadeville overflowed the parking lot of the First Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon seeking comfort and strength after a shooting at a teen’s birthday party on Saturday night left four dead and 28 injured.

They prayed, hugged, cried, and heard from pastors who urged them to lean upon their Christian faith after an unimaginable and unexplained tragedy.

“This wound will take a good while, forever to heal,” said Rick Lance, lead state missionary for Alabama Baptists, one of the ministers who spoke and led the crowd in prayer. “We will never forget this. This is a 9/11 moment for all of us here.”

The vigil was just a few blocks from where the shooting happened Saturday night in downtown Dadeville at what authorities said was a birthday party for a 16-year-old. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has not released information about possible motives or suspects and has asked the public for its help.

“What we know is a shooting took place,” First Baptist Senior Pastor Ben Hayes told the crowd. “Four of our friends are dead. Twenty or more are wounded. As Dr. Lance said, we will never be the same.”

Maery Beth Turner attended the vigil with her husband, Jason Turner. Turner said she learned of the shooting late Saturday night from her daughter Lillian, a 10th grader who plays flute in the band at Dadeville High School. Lillian did not attend the party where the shooting happened but some of her friends did and one was injured, Turner said.

“Our daughter comes rushing in our room in tears,” Maery Beth said. “She’s like, Mom there’s been a shooting. I’m like, what are you talking about? She said there’s been a shooting at the birthday party. And one of her friends was wounded. She’s been having a hard time with that. It’s been very hard, especially for her. And of course it’s been hard as parents. We want to support them and love them and guide them.

“It’s just a total shock. I know it might sound a little cliché but you never think of it happening in a small town like this because we’re all so close. And it’s just devastating, heartbreaking.”

Turner said her daughter was leaning on her faith in God. “That’s what’s helping her through it,” Turner said. “And it’s helping her to be the light for her friends, and to be there with them also. So I just really think that without God being first in our life, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Students were mixed throughout the crowd at the vigil, some in small groups and some embracing as tears flowed.

Turner’s connections to Dadeville High and the students are deep because of a long history with the school. She said her father, Barry Reed, was band director there for 20 years. Turner said she was not surprised at the massive turnout for Sunday afternoon’s vigil.

“It’s amazing,” Turner said. “It’s beautiful. It’s Dadeville. This is how it’s like on Friday nights or at the basketball games, baseball, band concerts.”

“It is a really great place to live,” Turner said. “Everybody is there for each other. And you don’t hear that that often.”

John Wilcox said he was not surprised at how his city turned out in response to the heartbreak. Wilcox, a retired educator said he worked most of his 34-year career in Tallapoosa County, said he was hurting because he considers students like family.

“The worst day personally I’ve ever gone through,” Wilcox said. “I’ve retired but these kids are in our hands to be cared for, to be protected. And something happens to some of our kids like this and it’s a blow unlike any I ever have had.”

Wilcox said the tragedy and the response reinforced his appreciation for where he lives.

“That the people of this community cared for them and loved them as much as obviously they do is huge,” Wilcox said. “I am overwhelmed by it. This is a good portion of this community right here in this parking lot. I’m thankful that I live in a community that cares about its own like this.”

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Dadeville birthday party shooting