At least four people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting in a small town in Alabama, southern United States, police said this Sunday, while local media indicated that the victims were celebrating a teenage birthday party in a episode that once again highlights the consequences of easy access to weapons in that country. Media and witnesses indicated that the incident occurred on Saturday night at a "Sweet 16" birthday party - an event similar to that celebrated by Hispanic American quinceañeras - in Dadeville, northeast of the state capital. , Montgomery. "This act tragically cost the lives of four people and left many injured," Sergeant Jeremy Burkett, spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, confirmed to reporters. Earlier on local television there was talk of at least 20 people injured, a report from the AFP agency highlights. The southern security entity did not specify if any suspect was detained or identified, although it was indicated that an investigation is already underway to determine those responsible, as well as the motives. The WRBL television network reported this Sunday morning heavy police activity and crime scene blocking tape around a building and white sheets covering parts of the floor. According to witnesses, several people were injured, most of them teenagers, and transported to local hospitals for treatment. Phil Dowdell, the teenager's birthday brother, is among those killed, according to his grandmother, Annette Allen, told the local newspaper Montgomery Advertiser. The young man was in his last year of high school and was due to graduate in a few weeks. "Everyone is grieving," Allen said of the small community of about 3,000 residents, noting that the Dowdells' mother was also shot and wounded.