One person is dead and another is injured after a shooting in Dothan on Saturday during the National Peanut Festival parade, the Dothan Police Department said.
The shooting happened along the downtown parade route, at the intersection of West Main and Montana streets. A group of people had gotten into a fight, police said, and at least one person produced a gun and fired into the group, hitting two victims.
Garyoun Tyrone Fluellen, 22, of Dothan, was shot once in the upper torso, police said. Fluellen was transported to Southeast Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim was shot twice in the upper torso and was transported to Southeast Health where he underwent surgery. He is in stable condition.
An investigation is ongoing. Police are looking for two 18-year-olds from Dothan – Mekhi Nasir Lawton and Mark Quinten Small Jr. – identified as “persons of interest.” Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the teens is asked to call the police department at 334-615-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 334-793-7000.
As a precaution, extra police officers will be on site Saturday at the Fairgrounds in Dothan, where the National Peanut Festival continues through Sunday.
“We have no reason to believe that this incident is any way connected to the Peanut Festival, rather this lawless behavior by individuals with no regard for anyone else took place where thousands of people gathered to watch a parade,” police said.
This story will be updated as more information is released.
