DADEVILLE, Ala. — The Dadeville Alumni Committee is responding to allegations surrounding an alumni gathering at Lake Martin Beach Club, saying the committee expected the venue to close to the public and host alumni but encountered a crowded establishment upon arrival.
In a statement released Sunday, the committee said it has organized the annual gathering for five years and that the safety of attendees has always been a priority.
According to the committee, organizers contacted Lake Martin Beach Club before the event and understood that the establishment would close to the public at 10 p.m. to host Dadeville alumni.
However, the committee said the venue was already full when organizers arrived. Organizers expected people who were not part of the alumni gathering to be asked to leave.
The statement said a committee representative asked both the manager and owner to close the venue, but they declined, saying everyone was under control. The representative also reportedly requested several times that the music be changed but was told the establishment did not control the music.
“The Alumni Committee followed the instructions given to us,” the statement said, adding that the committee cannot control what happens after people leave the venue.
The committee also clarified that it is an independent group of Dadeville alumni and is not affiliated with Dadeville High School or the Tallapoosa County Board of Education.
The statement comes after Lake Martin Beach Club reported that a brief altercation occurred inside the restaurant near closing time, followed by an individual in a vehicle on Highway 49 opening fire toward the property. The business said no one was struck by gunfire.
Lake Martin Beach Club subsequently announced that it was permanently canceling its weekly Wing Wednesday event and would subject future private events and group bookings to stricter reviews and security requirements.
The Dadeville Alumni Committee said the gunfire on Highway 49 was not affiliated with its organization.
“We are saddened that people did not respect the lives of others, and we are grateful that no one was injured,” the committee said.
The committee also apologized for what happened and said it respects Lake Martin Beach Club’s decision.
The statement follows a separate announcement from Tallapoosa County Schools Superintendent Casey D. Davis, who said the incidents at McKelvey Park and Lake Martin Beach Club were not connected to Dadeville High School’s official Homecoming 2026 celebrations.
The circumstances surrounding the reported incidents and any potential law enforcement action were not detailed in the committee’s statement.
CNAW2News will continue to follow developments as more information becomes available.
Originally reported: https://cnaw2news.com/2026/10/18/lake-martin-beach-club-announces-changes-after-shots-fired-near-business/
