Party's over: Police find guns, drugs and booze after graduation party noise complaint

Donna Thornton, The Gadsden Times
·2 min read
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Southside police investigating a noise complaint on Daystar Lane Saturday discovered a party with about 100 people present — most of them underage and drinking — according to Chief Blake Ragsdale.

Six surrounding law enforcement agencies came out to help, and they found guns —  at least one had been reported stolen in Gadsden — along with narcotics and alcohol.

A 33-year-old woman who was hosting the graduation party has been charged with violating the Alabama Open House Party Law, a Class B misdemeanor.

Southside police recovered these items after responding to a noise complaint about a graduation party Saturday on Daystar Lane. One of the guns had been reported stolen in Gadsden.
Southside police recovered these items after responding to a noise complaint about a graduation party Saturday on Daystar Lane. One of the guns had been reported stolen in Gadsden.

When officers arrived, Capt. Jay Freeman said in a press release, they saw a number of teenagers running from the residence, where a number of cars were parked along the road and in the yard.

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Read this: Six shot, injured, at graduation party in Anniston

Police found guns behind the residence, where several teens tried to flee through the adjacent neighborhoods and woods, he said.

Etowah County Sheriff's deputies and Rainbow City, Attalla, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Ohatchee police responded to assist, Freeman said.

"Thanks to our law enforcement officers, these firearms will be off the streets tonight," Freeman said.

The department posted a photo of guns and other items found at the scene of the party, and invited anyone who wanted to claim their property to "come to City Hall and see us."

The chief said this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. This Southside incident comes just days after six people were shot (sustaining non-life-threatening injuries) at a graduation party in Anniston.

In Thomaston, Georgia, an 18-year-old was killed and two people were injured early Sunday morning in a shooting at a graduation party, and two teens were killed by gunfire at a graduation party in Wichita, Kansas, late Saturday or early Sunday, according to published news stories.

Freeman said other charges could be coming, possibly in relation to the stolen firearm.

Alabama's Open House Party law says no adult who has control of any residence who has authorized an open house party and is in attendance shall allow the party to continue in all of the following occur:

"(1) Alcoholic beverages or controlled substances are illegally possessed or illegally consumed at the residence by a person under the age of 21.

"(2) The adult knows that an alcoholic beverage or controlled substance is in the illegal possession of or is being illegally consumed by a person under the age of 21 at the residence.

"(3) The adult fails to take reasonable action to prevent illegal possession or illegal consumption of the alcoholic beverage or controlled substance."

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Southside police find guns and drugs at Daystar Lane graduation party