An early Sunday shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama left one person dead and 16 others injured, with 12 suffering gunshot wounds, authorities said.
The victim, an 18-year-old male who was not a Tuskegee University student, succumbed to his injuries.
Several injured individuals, however, were students. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reported that 12 people were wounded by gunfire, while four others sustained injuries unrelated to the gunshots.
No arrests were made immediately following the incident.
Fatal Shooting at Tuskegee University Homecoming Event:
Early Sunday, a shooting at Tuskegee University’s homecoming celebration in Alabama resulted in one death and multiple injuries, including students. The university confirmed that the deceased was not affiliated with the… pic.twitter.com/clAsGanfD2
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) November 10, 2024
In a statement, Tuskegee University confirmed that the victim’s parents had been notified and that the injured, including some students, were receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery.
Macon County Coroner Hal Bentley confirmed that an autopsy was scheduled at the state forensic center in Montgomery.
Tuskegee’s police chief, Patrick Mardis, shared that a female student had been shot in the stomach and a male student was shot in the arm.
Police initially responded to an unrelated shooting off-campus when they received the call about the incident at the university’s West Commons apartments.
“Some idiots started shooting,” Mardis told Al.com, noting the difficulty emergency vehicles had navigating the crowd at the scene.
Being able to stay calm and keep others around you calm during a shootout is critical. I’ve been in this same exact situation in Tuskegee, AL! But it wasn’t no switches and I ran once the gentlemen ducked behind the car with me started shooting too 😩. The locals usually be the… pic.twitter.com/tvJxcCxkO3
— LAY YO EDGES BIHHH (@TheeSovereignnn) November 10, 2024
The incident occurred as Tuskegee’s 100th Homecoming Week was coming to a close, a celebration that typically draws large crowds.
A statement from the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that agents are examining the events that led to the shooting. Tuskegee University notified parents of students about the situation and expressed condolences to those affected.
In his 37 years as coroner, Bentley said he had never seen a shooting during homecoming events.
The shooting left a somber mood in Tuskegee, a town of around 9,000 people. Amare’ Hardee, the president of Tuskegee’s student government association, expressed sorrow on behalf of the university community.
“This senseless act of violence has touched each of us, whether directly or indirectly,” Hardee said at the Sunday morning homecoming convocation.
Rev. James Quincy III, who leads the Tuskegee National Alumni Association, reminded attendees of life’s fragility in the face of tragedy. “It is in moments like these that we need to be reminded not to stand on our own understanding,” Quincy said, adding that faith offers resilience in troubling times.
Miles College, Tuskegee’s homecoming opponent for Saturday’s football game, also expressed sympathy.
“Today, our hearts are with the Tuskegee family as they face the tragic aftermath of the recent shooting on campus,” Miles College stated, offering condolences to the affected families.
The incident comes a little over a year after a separate shooting at Tuskegee University’s student housing complex, where four people were injured.
The campus, with approximately 3,000 students, is about 40 miles east of Montgomery, Alabama’s capital. Tuskegee University, recognized as the first historically Black college designated as a Registered National Landmark in 1966, holds deep historical significance as a National Historic Site.
Norma Clayton, chairwoman of the university’s board of trustees, closed the service with words of unity and resilience. “We will get through this together because in tough times, tough people band together and they survive.”