Police have locked down the scene of a reported mass shooting at a teenager's birthday party in the United States.
Officers were called at 10.30pm local time (around 4.30am UK time) on Saturday April 15 to the incident in Dadeville, Alabama, where it is reported that six people have been killed and a further 20 others injured. Graphic images shared on social media appeared to show a number of bodies on the ground inside the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio.
Details on the shooting are scant, reports the Mirror, and Dadeville Police are yet to make a statement on how the incident unfolded. It is unknown whether the shooter remains at large.
The identity, whereabouts and motive of the suspect are not known, however, WRBL reported that a suspected altercation at the party led to the shooting.
The Tallapoosa County coroner confirmed to local news station ABC 33/40 that there had been fatalities, but an official number has not been released. Local news outlet WRBL reported that up to 20 people were injured and have been taken to local hospitals.
Dadeville Police and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation are undertaking enquiries, Newsweek reports. The tragedy will add to the running total of mass shootings in the US to date this year, which is compiled by non-profit the Gun Violence Archive.
Excluding the Dadeville incident, there have been at least 162 mass shootings in the US in 2023. The group defines such incidents as shootings where four people have been killed, not including the shooter.
Among the dead are at least 75 children under 11 and 434 teenagers aged between 12 and 17, with over 12,000 deaths attributed to gun violence in the US since January 1 this year.
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