Two men were killed and 35 other people were wounded when gunfire swept across a four-block stretch of a crowded, unpermitted homecoming block party in Vienna, Ga., early Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, and no arrests had been made as of that day. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office were still working to identify the shooter or shooters, with investigators piecing together what unfolded on Pine Street.
More than 1,000 people had gathered for the unofficial celebration near West Palm and the Dooly County Recreation Department gym, in the 900 block of Pine Street, in the small south Georgia city about 130 miles south of Atlanta. Deputies were on patrol at the gathering and stationed at both ends of the street to manage traffic when shots rang out around 1:25 a.m., according to preliminary information from the GBI.
Chaos Across Four Blocks of Pine Street
Deputies ran toward the gunfire and found multiple people shot. Two men were discovered dead nearby in the 600 block of Pine Street: Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls described the scene as horrific after both men died of fatal gunshot wounds.
The 35 wounded ranged in age from 14 to 51, and their conditions ranged from critical to stable. Some suffered gunshot wounds, while others were struck by cars as the crowd scattered. Traffic congestion and continuing gunfire a block away complicated the first rescue efforts, and victims were taken to four regional hospitals: Crisp County Hospital, Bleckley Memorial Hospital, a hospital in Perry and Atrium Health Navicent in Macon.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy said people were running in every direction as additional shots were fired about a block away while his deputies were already on the scene. “Please turn yourself in, because we’re doing everything we can to find out who you are,” Peavy said at a news conference.
A Multi-Agency Search for the Gunmen
GBI Director Chris Hosey said six investigative work units were activated across the region to identify suspects. The Georgia State Patrol, Houston County, the Perry Police Department and the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office sent personnel to help Dooly County deputies secure the sprawling scene. Peavy said he had 22 officers working Friday, Oct. 2, during homecoming festivities that passed peacefully, but the early Sunday violence required support from state and neighboring agencies.
Prosecutors are awaiting final case files for review. The Uvalde Foundation is offering a reward for information in the Dooly County mass shooting.
Schools Open With Added Safety Measures
The block party coincided with homecoming weekend at Dooly County High School, but it was not a school-sponsored event, and the city of Vienna had not issued a permit for the gathering. Dooly County schools opened Monday, Oct. 5, with additional safety measures that officials did not detail.
“We recognize that its impact may reach many of our students, families, and staff,” said Sherrod Willaford, superintendent of the Dooly County School System.
The gunfire erupted about a block from the home of Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels. In the hours that followed, residents and local leaders — among them Councilwoman Tabitha Carter — spoke out about the shooting, and the community rallied around the victims and their families. A witness who was at the party told WALB that she and her friends could easily have been killed.