Two teenagers were charged on Wednesday with reckless murder in the mass shooting at a 16th birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, which left four people dead and 32 others injured on Saturday night.

During a press conference on Wednesday, authorities did not provide any new details or elaborate on the motives of the suspect, who is accused of engaging in conduct that creates a grave risk to another person’s life and involves extreme indifference to human life. The suspect, Travis McCullough and Ty Reik McCullough, will be tried as adults for the reckless murder that occurred in Alabama.

Mike Segrest, the district attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Alabama, announced at the press conference that there would be more charges forthcoming, particularly concerning the individuals who were harmed, including four individuals who are still in critical condition.

Based on information provided by the Gun Violence Archive, the incident, which allegedly took place at a dance studio, represents the greatest amount of casualties in any mass shooting thus far this year. It comes after other recent mass shootings at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, and at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

The investigation led by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is being repeated in their request to share any information they have about what happened that night at the press conference with the public authorities.

“The party briefly paused, requesting the individuals to depart, but no one complied. The festivities resumed. After an hour, the situation escalated as gunshots were fired,” revealed Keenan Cooper, the DJ for the event, in an interview with ABC News, as soon as it was evident that an individual was armed.

In response to the shooting, President Joe Biden reiterated his calls for Congress to enact laws requiring universal background checks, banning assault weapons, eliminating high-capacity magazines, and implementing safe storage laws for firearms, in order to hold gun manufacturers liable and eliminate immunity.

Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican from Tennessee, also commended the recent executive order by Lee to expand background checks in the state, which has the laxest gun regulations in the country and poses a red flag for individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others by temporarily barring them from possessing firearms.

“This statement by Biden is unacceptable and outrageous. What he said is that children cannot attend a birthday party without fear when our nation has come together.”

Republican Governor Kay Ivey stated on Twitter Sunday morning that her office was monitoring updates on the shooting.

She expressed, “In the morning, I mourn alongside the residents of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians.” As more information becomes available, we are keeping ourselves well-informed through the efforts of law enforcement, and we firmly believe that our state should not tolerate any form of violent crime.

What are Alabama’s gun laws?

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that Alabama has the tenth highest number of registered guns and a significant link between gun ownership and gun-related deaths. In 2020, the state recorded a firearm mortality rate of 23.6 deaths per 100,000 people, making it the fifth highest in the country.

Alabama, to purchase a firearm, does not require a delay period, safety instruction, or a background investigation, and any individual above 18 years old can openly possess a gun without a license. Earlier in the year, Alabama joined the group of 26 states that implemented laws allowing carrying of firearms without a permit.

In January, Alabama enacted a state database that can report orders and convictions from circuit and district courts, probate courts, and municipal courts to determine whether an individual in Dadeville has the ability to possess a firearm, regardless of whether the system has flagged them as prohibited.

The information on the new charges in the case has been updated, and this story was originally published on April 17. It was updated at 2 pm ET on April 19.

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