Authorities have arrested and charged a 25-year-old man, Jaquez Myrick of Montgomery, with a federal offense after he was found with a weapon while leaving the shooting scene at Tuskegee University in Alabama on Sunday morning. Myrick was found in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device and faces a federal charge of possession of a machine gun, according to a statement released by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
The shooting at Tuskegee University left one person dead and 16 others injured, with 12 of them wounded by gunfire. An 18-year-old man who died in the shooting was not a university student, but some of the injured were students. The FBI has joined the investigation and is seeking tips from the public, as well as any video witnesses might have.
Classes at Tuskegee University have been canceled for Monday, and grief counselors will be available to help students in the university’s chapel. The shooting occurred as the historically Black university was celebrating its 100th Homecoming Week, and the community is in mourning over the tragic incident.
The shooting has left everyone in the university community shaken, with students and alumni expressing their shock and sadness. The Rev. James Quincy III emphasized the need for resilience in the face of tragedy and called on the community to come together in faith and trust during this difficult time.
This incident comes just over a year after a shooting at a Tuskegee University student housing complex that left four people injured. The university, located about 40 miles east of Montgomery, is a historic institution with a rich legacy as the first historically Black college to be designated as a Registered National Landmark. Despite the challenges faced, the university community is determined to stand strong and support each other through this difficult period.
