Dadeville still recovering one month later

DADEVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Hearts are still broken after the mass shooting that occurred in the small town of Dadeville exactly one month ago tomorrow.

Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Dr. Ben Hayes, is the chaplain for the Dadeville High School football team and police force, two groups heavily affected by the shooting that occurred in the heart of the town.

“God placed me here for that reason, not just for that moment in time but for all the ministry that we need to do here,” said Hayes.

Not even 24 hours after the shooting, Hayes had the job of caring for the whole community.

He and his team started helping the community cope with what had happened to their town overnight. A vigil and prayer services were held, donations and many helping hands flooded the community to help or show support in any way they could.

Hayes also sought help from local pastors and received support from people worldwide.

Now almost a month later, Hayes says the community is coping well and are ready to smile again, especially the students who knew the victims.

“They needed permission to start living again. They needed permission to start laughing again because they felt so guilty about having fun when their friends were dead,” said Hayes.

If you would like to help the Dadeville victims, click here.

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