One person died and 16 others were hurt in a shooting early Sunday morning at Alabama’s Tuskegee University during homecoming weekend. Twelve of the injured were shot, according to the police. After hours, one arrest was made public.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said that Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, was arrested as he was leaving the scene of the shooting on campus. He was found with a handgun that could be turned into a machine gun.
The police said in a statement that Myrick is being charged with federal crimes for having a machine gun. It didn’t say that he used the gun to kill the person or give any other information.
The police did not say if Myrick was a student at the college where the shooting happened as the 100th Homecoming Week was coming to an end. Authorities said that the 18-year-old man who died was not a student, but some of the people who were hurt were.
At first, it wasn’t clear if Myrick had a lawyer who could speak for him.
The state agency said that twelve people were hurt by gunfire and four others were hurt in ways that were not related to the gunfire.
The university said in a statement that some were getting care at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and the Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery. Their conditions were not released right away.
The FBI joined the investigation and said it was looking for information from people and any video evidence that people might have. It made a website where people could post videos. A local prosecutor said that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was also a part of the investigation.
On Monday, Tuskegee University canceled classes and said that grief counselors would be available in the chapel to help students.
PCO Hal Bentley told The Associated Press that the victim’s parents were told and that an autopsy would be done at the state’s forensic center in Montgomery.
Patrick Mardis, the police chief of Tuskegee City, said that a female student was shot in the stomach and a male student was shot in the arm.
Mardis said that city police were already on their way to an unrelated double shooting off campus when they got the call about the shooting at the West Commons apartments on campus.
“Some stupid people started shooting,” Mardis told Al.com. “There were so many people there that the emergency vehicles couldn’t get in.”
The person who answered the phone at Mardis’ office said they didn’t have any other information.
Bentley, who has been coroner for 37 years, said he couldn’t remember any shootings at the school’s homecoming events in the past. He said that the small town of about 9,000 people was in a sad mood.
At the convocation service, the pastor who is in charge of the Tuskegee National Alumni Association said that the shooting shows how frail life is.
“We need to be reminded not to stand on our own understanding at times like these,” the Rev. James Quincy III said. “At these times, I don’t have understanding.”
“As we end this wonderful family reunion we had this week, I can only rely on my faith and my prayers for our whole family and this community,” Quincy said. “And most importantly, it is because of that faith walk and that trust in God that we are strong in times of trouble.”
Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, which plays Tuskegee in their homecoming football game on Saturday, issued a statement of support.
The college said, “Today, our hearts are with the Tuskegee family as they deal with the terrible effects of the recent shooting on campus.” “Our hearts go out to those who have been hurt, and we pray for healing and justice.” Miles College is here for you during this tough time.
The university is about 40 miles east of Montgomery, Alabama, which is the state capital. It has about 3,000 students.
The head of the board of trustees, Norma Clayton, said at the service on Sunday morning, “We will get through this together because tough people stick together and get through it.”
