Today is a new beginning for a Trinity Richards and her family.
One year ago – on April 15, 2023 – Trinity was at her friend’s Sweet 16 birthday party when gunfire erupted inside a small dance studio in downtown Dadeville.
Nearly 90 bullets were fired – four of them hitting Trinity.
One bullet entered Trinity’s head by her right ear, toward the front of her head.
The bubbly 16-year-old cheerleader was fighting to survive, with agonal breathing and then lapsing into a coma.
Trinity was expected to die, as four others did that night. Dozens of others were wounded.
It’s been a year of ups and downs, what-ifs, and disbelief that it even happened.
Today, Trinity and her mom, Cheryl Sledge Richards, will attend a memorial service at Dadeville High School in memory of those killed, and in support of those who survived.
Several days ago, Trinity attended a lantern release for Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, a 17-year-old girl killed in the shooting.
“We want to support the other families because it’s not over, will never be over, for the ones who lost their children,’’ Cheryl said.
When that service, and the one-year mark, are over, Cheryl said, a new chapter will begin.
“Overwhelmingly, we are still in shock that it happened at all but are so thankful,’’ Cheryl said.
“I’ve got to learn to think of it in terms of something that happened as opposed to something that is happening,’’ she said. “We’re going to look at it differently and move forward and keep counting our blessings.”
The shooting happened at a party in honor of Alexis Dowdell, whose 18-year-old brother, Phil, was killed.
Along with him and Smith, Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, also died that night.
Another 24 people suffered gunshot wounds. Four others were injured but not shot. Most of the 28 injured were teenagers.
The oldest surviving victim was LaTonya Allen, the 37-year-old mother of Alexis and Phil Dowdell.
The other victims were a 19-year-old, six 18-year-olds, three 17-year-olds, ten 16-year-olds, five 15-year-olds and two 14-year-olds.
Trinity’s close friend and fellow cheerleader, Cara Johns, also then 16, was also critically injured with gunshot wounds to head, chest, and stomach.
Kendarrius Heard, then an 18-year- old senior football player Dadeville High School football player, was left paralyzed from the shooting.
At least seven guns were fired, and six suspects have been charged in the case – including several juveniles.
Trinity, now 17, remembers most of that day and night, up until the point that she was shot.
Paramedics ‘considered her gone’
She had spent that Saturday shopping with her mom – Target, Dillards, Ross, a small boutique and a trip to Tropical Smoothie.
Trinity said her mother seemed to be trying to stall the teen’s departure to Dadeville.
“My mom was putting off me leaving,’’ Trinity said with a laugh. “She was like, ‘I have to do this, I have to do that,’ and I was getting irritated. I was like, ‘I gotta leave.’’’
“Finally, she let me leave,’’ Trinity said. “I went into her room, gave her hug and a kiss and I got on the road.”
It was about an hour drive to Dadeville.
“I was listening to my music with my sunroof back. I had a good drive,’’ Trinity recalled. “The day was going good, very good.”
Trinity texted her parents once she arrived at the Dowdell home to tell them she got there safely.
She and Alexis laid around, made videos, and then headed out to meet up with friends before Alexis’s party.
Once at the party location – Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio – Trinity remembers speaking to Alexis’ mom and aunts.
“Everything was going well,’’ she said. “I was just having a good time.”
Trinity said she was pleasantly surprised when Cara got there. Cara had been at prom, and Trinity didn’t know if she would make it to the party.
“I was surprised and happy to see her,’’ she said. “I felt like I was in a place full of people I didn’t know.”
It was then that Alexis’s mom turned on the lights and announced that anyone over the age of 18 or carrying a gun would have to leave.
“That kind of threw me off because they were making that announcement for a reason,’’ Trinity said. “Thinking back on it now, if someone was in the building over 18 and they weren’t causing any problems, I don’t think they would have made an announcement.”
“The gun part is what shook me up,’’ she said.
State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Jess Thornton, the lead investigator in the case, previously testified there were 50 to 60 people inside the hall, which is 38-feet-long and 26-feet-wide.
At one point in the evening, a DJ’s speaker fell over, making a sound similar to a gunshot, Thornton said. When that happened, several of the young people there lifted their shirts to show they had guns.
Trinity didn’t know that, and she asked Alexis’s mom if everything was OK. “She said everything was fine,’’ Trinity said.
That was about 10:15 p.m. Shots rang out moments later.
“All I remember was being by a light switch,’’ Trinity said, “and I think that when I was standing by Alexis’s mom because she was controlling the lights.”
“I don’t remember getting shot,’’ she said. “I think the first time I got shot was in my head, so I don’t remember anything after that.”
Two of the paramedics, a husband-and-wife team, contacted Cheryl through friends and told her that they had “triaged Trinity…and considered her gone.”
‘I felt like it was my fault’
Trinity’s family found her at Lake Martin Hospital. Trinity was going to be airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, but visibility was low, and the helicopter could not fly. Instead, she was transported by ground.
Doctors had to remove about one-third of Trinity’s skull because of brain swelling.
She spent two months in the hospital before going to rehab.
“I remember waking up at the hospital,’’ Trinity said. “I remember some stuff before that, but I think I was dreaming, and I can’t tell what was reality or dreams.”
For example, she said, she asked her mother about a calendar on the wall, counting down the number of days that she’d been in the hospital. There was never a calendar, Trinity said.
“When I finally realized I was in the hospital, and I had a brain injury, so this is going to sound silly, but the first thing that came to mind was I thought I’d been in an airplane crash,’’ she said. “When I got into an airplane, I don’t know.”
When Trinity was well enough, and strong enough, Cheryl told her daughter about the shooting.
“I said, ‘That’s crazy, who would do something like that?’’’ Trinity said. “I had some more questions and then my mom told me like close to 30 people got shot and I couldn’t believe it.”
One of the hardest parts, she said, was learning that her best friend had also been shot in the head.
“When my mom told me Cara also got shot, that broke me because I felt like it was my fault, even though it wasn’t,’’ she said. “I felt like she was there because of me.”
Trinity and Cara finally reunited two months later when they went to rehab. Cara attends Tallassee High School but takes most of her classes virtually.
Trinity returned to Pike Road High School in September.
“I realize now when I went back, I thought I was doing so good,’’ she said. “But now, looking back, I was unstable, I was wobbly, and one wrong move and I would have fallen.”
Classmates walked her to her classes. She could not yet walk up the stairs.
“I couldn’t remember where anything was. I would go to the wrong teacher’s class,’’ she said. “I missed a whole class because I thought I was supposed to be somewhere else.”
Trinity rejoined her cheer squad and was named Homecoming Queen.
“That was really exciting for me,’’ she said. “I really wanted to win.”
Cheryl recently asked Trinity if she wanted to do more therapy.
“I said, ‘I don’t think I can get any better than this,’’ she said. “But then that’s what I thought when I first went back to school. So, I’ll guess I’ll know a month from now.”
“I don’t have any limitations now,’’ Trinity said. “The sky is the limit.”
‘Trinity is back’
Trinity started a group chat with about 15 of the other shooting survivors. She said she’s trying to plan a group outing in the near future.
“I told them I think we need to stay in touch,’’ she said.
Trinity said she feels like she’s back to her old self.
“I don’t think it has changed me a lot because I’ve always been humble and dedicated and consistent with whatever,’’ she said. “This made me realize that has helped me.”
Trinity will graduate in May. She plans to attend college and study social work.
She said the one-year anniversary of the shooting somewhat weighed on her over the weekend.
“A lot of my friends say I’m nonchalant. I don’t show emotions very often,’’ she said. “This weekend I haven’t been showing it, but (Saturday) I was in my room by myself, just wanting to be by myself.”
“I found myself kinda down,’’ she said. “There was no weeping and crying, but I just thinking ‘dang.’’’
Trinity feels she was spared for a reason.
“I feel like I was saved to help other people, and to show people what they may think is impossible is not impossible,’’ she said.
“And I think was saved to share the Gospel and the Word….I feel like I connect with so many people.”
Trinity said she’s not at all uncomfortable talking about the shooting. She thinks it’s more uncomfortable for those around her to talk about it in front her.
“I’m not embarrassed,’’ she said. “I freely talk about it. It doesn’t bother me to talk about it.”
“If anybody has any questions,’’ said, “I’m happy to talk about it.”
Cheryl said it’s been an adjustment for all of them, but she’s ready to move forward.
“I’ve got to embrace that Trinity is back and I have to get back to letting her grow up and fostering her independence that she’s always had and that she’s ready to enjoy again,’’ Cheryl said.
“Our focus is on her driving,’’ she said. “Of everything she had to endure, I think not being able to drive and have her freedom and independence has been the hardest.”
Cheryl said there’s also been a shift in friends/social activity dynamics.
One year ago, Trinity missed her nephew’s birthday party to instead attend Alexis’s birthday celebration.
On Sunday, the family attended the nephew’s birthday again, with Trinity in tow.
“This year,’’ Cheryl said, “she made the right choice.”
Trinity said she plans to attend each, and every, court hearing in the criminal cases against the suspects.
“I don’t want to miss a single court case,’’ she said.
Her mom agrees.
“It’s time for the justice part of it now,’’ Cheryl said.
Trinity plans to keep a positive outlook, which she has done since she was shot.
“I do think about the what-ifs. Instead of being here with my family, they could have been visiting my gravesite,’’ she said. “I know it easily could have went the other way and it was nothing but God’s grace.”
