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Father of teen killed in Alabama mass shooting says son had ‘so much more he wanted to do’

By Larry Spruill
By Larry Spruill

DADEVILLE, Ala. — Channel 2 Action News is hearing from the father of one of the victims of that mass shooting in Dadeville, Alabama.

Marsiah Collins, 19, has family living in Gwinnett County. He almost went to college here in the metro.

“It’s been a hard almost 72 hours. Tomorrow, I got to go out and pick out a casket for my son,” said Martin Collins, Jr.

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Collins said that’s a task that no father wants to do. His son was one of four teens shot and killed at a birthday party in Dadeville and about 30 other people were injured.

“The police officer came out and confirmed that my son was indeed a victim of the shooting and he was deceased. I was just trying to figure out what could lead to 30-something people getting shot,” said Collins.

He said this shooting just doesn’t make sense.

“We need comprehensive legislation or reform. We may need to take it to a constitutional level and clarify the 2nd Amendment. We need to do something. How many times are we going to keep burying our children?” asked Collins.

Collins said his son was an athlete and musician and he was getting ready to go off to college.

He got accepted to Georgia State and that would have put him closer to his little sister in Lawrenceville.

“She called me and said ‘Daddy, unfortunately, I’m the oldest now’,” said Collins.

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But he chose LSU in Baton Rouge to still be close to his dad and mom.

“That’s the part that hurts more. There was so much more he wanted to do,” said Collins.

Collins said he wishes he could get answers on why this happened.

Police are investigating the motive and a possible suspect or suspects.

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