The authorities in Alabama, United States, reported that a shooting incident occurred during a homecoming celebration at Tuskegee University on Sunday, November 10th, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to 16 others, with 12 individuals being shot. Several hours later, officials announced the arrest of a suspect.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency stated that law enforcement officers arrested a 25-year-old man named Jaquez Myrick in Montgomery and discovered that he was carrying a handgun modified with a machine gun. The agency mentioned in a statement that Myrick faces federal charges for illegal possession of a machine gun. The statement did not accuse him of using the firearm in the shooting incident, nor did it provide further details.
The agency did not clarify whether Myrick is a student at the historically black university, where the shooting incident took place as the 100th homecoming week celebration was coming to an end. Authorities indicated that the deceased 18-year-old male was not a student at the university, but some of the injured individuals were students.
It is currently unclear if Myrick has legal representation speaking on his behalf.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency stated that 12 people sustained gunshot wounds, while 4 other injuries were unrelated to the shooting. The university indicated in a statement that several of the wounded are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, but their conditions were not immediately disclosed.
The FBI has joined the investigation and is requesting the public’s assistance and any videos witnesses may have captured. The FBI has set up a website for people to upload videos. A local prosecutor mentioned that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BAFTE) is also involved in the investigation.
Tuskegee University has canceled Monday’s classes and announced that counseling services will be provided to students at the school’s chapel.
Macon County Coroner Hal Bentley informed the Associated Press that the victims’ parents have been notified, and autopsies are planned to be conducted at the state forensic center in Montgomery.
Tuskegee Police Chief Patrick Mardis stated that among the injured were a female student shot in the abdomen and a male student shot in the arm.
Mardis mentioned that when the police received the call reporting the shooting incident on the university campus, the city police were dealing with an unrelated shooting case outside the school premises.
Mardis told the news website Al.com: “You couldn’t get rescue trucks in there. There were too many people.”
An individual answering the phone at Mardis’s office stated that there was no further information available.
The university is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, with approximately 3,000 students currently enrolled.
In 1966, the university became the first historically black college designated as a Registered National Landmark in American history. According to the school’s website, it was also designated as a National Historic Site in 1974.