Man, 23, killed in Alabama shooting was arrested last year for having a pistol without a permit

One of those killed in Alabama's Sweet 16 massacre over the weekend that saw four killed and 28 injured had a previous arrest for carrying an unlicensed firearm - as cops said that a suspect in the Saturday shooting was no longer at-large.

Identified by a coroner Monday, 23-year-old Corbin Holston was arrested in February 2022 - and subsequently charged with possessing a pistol without a permit. 

Just over ten months later, Holston was arrested again - this time in nearby Lee County - though it is unclear for what. A mug shot taken at the time shows the victim with a neck tattoo not seen when he was booked in February.

The development comes as all four slain, including Holston, were identified Monday after cops for two days kept tight-lipped as to what occurred at the Dadeville dance hall - where local teen Alexis Dowdell had been celebrating her 16th birthday.

Among the dead was the girl's teenage brother, Philstavious Dowdell, a star football player who recently committed to Jacksonville State University, as well as fellow senior Keke Smith. Also slain was 19-year-old Marsiah Collins and Dadeville's own Holston - who was released on a $6,500 bond despite the gun charge.

Identified by a coroner Monday, 23-year-old Corbin Holston was arrested in February of last year - and subsequently charged with possessing a pistol without a permit.

The development comes as all four slain, including Holston, were identified Monday after cops for two days kept tight-lipped as to what occurred at the Dadeville dance hall

'On February 1st [2022] Deputy Mitchell arrested Corbin Dahmontrey Holston of Dadeville, Al, for attempting to elude, reckless endangerment, and possession of [a] pistol without a permit,' Coosa County Sheriffs wrote in an arrest report at the time. 

'He was processed into the Coosa County Jail on a $6,500 bond.'

It is not immediately clear from publicly available records what became of Holston in the months that ensued - though by the year's end, roughly four months ago he would another run-in with the law 60 miles away, in Lee County.

It is not known what spurred the arrest, nor if the victim ever served any time. A mugshot taken after the second arrest shows the then-22-year-old - who graduated Dadeville high school in 2018 - sporting a neck tattoo.

What is known, though, is that Holston was among the roughly 50 guests in attendance at Mahogany’s Masterpiece dance studio Saturday around 10:30 when the shooting started.

The first shots were fired at roughly 10:34 pm Saturday, state police handling a probe into the murders said Sunday.

In addition, authorities confirmed that at least 28 others were injured and hospitalized as a result of the hail of gunfire - which, according to a witness accounts, came an hour after attendees started circulating a rumor that someone had brought a gun to the gun club.

Cops, however, have provided few details of who carried out the killings or what sparked them, and have yet to confirm whether they have made an arrest. 

Police sources familiar with innerworkings of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) - the state agency tasked with carrying out the investigation - told local outlets Monday that no arrests have been made.

Just over ten months later, Holston was arrested again - this time in Lee County - though it is unclear for what. A mug shot taken at the time shows the victim with a neck tattoo not seen in the previous booking photo

Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox identified the two remaining victims Monday as 19 year-old Marsiah Emmanuel 'Siah' Collins and Corbin Holston, 23

Among the dead was  Philstavious Dowdell (left), a star football player whose sister was holding the party, as well as fellow senior Keke Smith (right)

Cops did not provide an update Sunday on the condition of Dowdell's younger sister Alexis (pictured), whose birthday party was interrupted by the rage of gunfire 

That said, in the latest of several pressers held by local and state cops Sunday, Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the ALEA provided an update which he asserted that a prospective gunman was 'no longer a threat.'

On Monday, after the Tallapoosa County Coroner finally named the four victims, cops would not confirm whether the shooter was among the four killed, or the more than two dozen hospitalized - 15 of which were reportedly teens.

As of Monday morning, five of those teens were in critical condition, while four were stable. 

Earlier in the weekend, before local cops handed the investigation to the state, officers from the Dadeville Police Department aired the belief that the incident likely stemmed from a physical altercation. 

Speaking to reporters Sunday evening, Burkett would not address those claims - only confirming the number of victims at four, while revealing many of the injured remain hospitalized in critical condition.

Despite his force now heading the investigation, the officer did not name a suspect - but reiterated the person is 'no longer a threat to the community,' possibly indicated the person responsible could be among the dozens hospitalized.

Meanwhile, witness accounts from those who saw the mayhem firsthand - as well as its aftermath - continue to shed light on what actually happened. 

The shooting took place Dadeville, a tiny town of 3,000 an hour's drive from Montgomery

Details surrounding the incident are still sparse, officials have confirmed that the gunfire erupted at roughly 10:34pm Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece on North Broadnax Street

Still unexplained, the shooting left two others dead and at least 28 injured, and has subsequently left the small town of roughly 3,000 looking for answers

A DJ who worked the party provided more details on what transpired Saturday, revealing that earlier rumors had been spreading that someone in attendance had a gun

As police continue to piece together what happened Saturday night, an officer overseeing the investigation provided an update that may have provided a hint as to the fate of the suspect

A DJ who worked the party , DJ Keenan Cooper, old local ABC affiliate station WBMA Sunday that earlier in the night, about an hour before the initial shots were fired, rumors had been spreading among the dance floor that someone had a gun.

'It wasn't anything you could pretty much see because the lights were off,' Cooper the station, appearing for an interview in front of the still cordoned-off crime scene.

'They mentioned someone had a gun. They stopped the party for a second, asked them to leave, nobody left and the party continued.'

Roughly an hour later, the first shots rang out - sending the 50 or so people who had been in attendance into a frenzy. He said he helped teens hide under the table where he was doing his DJ set. 

'I only tried to help who was in front of me, so I had a lot of people under the table and beside me trying to protect them. 

'After everybody ran out, I made sure they were OK and that's when I came out and the police arrived. I'm just distraught for the kids.'

Cops handed over the death investigation to the ALEA around midnight Sunday.

As of Monday afternoon, details surrounding the incident are still sparse, with officials only confirming the gunfire erupted at roughly 10:34pm Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece on North Broadnax Street.

Dowdell, who along with Smith was named as a victim on Sunday after relatives spoke to local reporters, had been awarded a scholarship to Jacksonville State in February, and was the first victim to be formally identified. 

On Sunday, the boy's grandmother, Annette Allen, remembered her relative as a kind-hearted individual who never caused trouble for anyone, and always had a 'million-dollar smile'. 

'He was a very, very humble child,' Allen told the Montgomery Advertiser moments after the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) confirmed the death toll in a statement Sunday morning.

'Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face.'  

Allen confirmed he had been attending a party held by his sister Alexis - also a student at the local high school - for her 16th. The children's mother was also there and sustained two gunshot wounds, Allen said. Her condition is currently unknown. 

'Everybody's grieving,' Allen said.

Relatives of the other 20-something people injured, meanwhile, continue to wait for updates on their hospitalized loved ones, with cops now stationed across the community telling people to remain strong.

That said, officers have yet to issue a formal statement on the victims or shooter, with Burkett Sunday only saying the town was no longer at risk. 

'This is going to be a long, complicated process,' Burkett said Sunday, adding that the scene is still being processed and that a methodical investigation is currently being conducted. 

'This is a very fluid situation. We are still trying to confirm everyone who was at the scene.' 

A high school football standout in Dadeville, Alabama, Dowdell was among the four killed in a mass shooting Saturday - an incident that saw more than 30 people shot in total

A bloody handprint marks a pillar the day after a shooting at a during a teenager's birthday party at Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in Dadeville, Alabama

Fire fighters wash down the scene of the shooting on Sunday, as cops kept tight-lipped about the inner workings of their investigation

Dowdell, a senior set to graduate in a matter of weeks, had been celebrating his sister Alexis' (seen with the victim at left) birthday Saturday night at Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio - following what police initially suspected was a fight

The teen (at middle) was the first victim to be formally identified. He is seen committing to the school with a signing accompanied by his family - including his sister, seen second from right

Dowdell, who also ran track and played basketball, is being remembered by relatives as a kind-hearted individual who never caused trouble for anyone

On Sunday morning, the crime scene remained cordoned off - with a tarp hanging over the glass front door of the dance establishment on N. Broadnax Street

Witness accounts indicated that most of those injured were teenagers, with cops later confirming those suspicions