A homecoming celebration turned deadly on the campus of Tuskegee University early Sunday morning with 13 people shot.
One person, 18-year-old La’Tavion Johnson, died in the shooting and 16 others have been injured.
Police have charged Jaquez Myrick, 25, with possession of a machine gun as he was found leaving the scene of the shooting.
The gunfire began about 1:40 a.m. on the university campus as homecoming festivities were winding down.
The Alabama Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident at the request of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.
“Special Agents are still in the process of gathering and examining information relative to the sequence of events which ultimately led to the shooting,” law enforcement officials said.
The university identified Johnson as a “non-university individual” while notifying that several of the other people injured were Tuskegee students.
“Several others including Tuskegee University students were injured and are receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery,” the statement said.
The university has canceled Monday classes and is making grief counselors available for students.
The shooting will inevitably lead to discussion about how to curb gun violence among lawmakers.
Shomari Figures, the newly elected Democrat representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, said the solution will take cooperation at all levels.
“Kalisha and I are praying for the victims of this tragedy in Tuskegee,” Figures said. “It’s incredibly sad that families had to wake up this morning with their lives shattered. Gun violence is ripping apart too many communities and taking far too many lives, especially the lives of young black people. This is a problem we must address together as a community. Everyone has a role to play: parents, government officials, law enforcement, coaches, schools, clergy, businesses, community leaders and organizations, and residents. We must all work collectively to put an end to this, and I will work diligently to provide resources to address both the root causes and those that commit gun crimes.”
