By Shannon Dawson, Newsone

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is collaborating with Tuskegee University to investigate a devastating shooting that unfolded in the early hours of Nov. 10, leaving one person dead and 16 others injured, according to NPR.

The shooting occurred early Sunday morning as students and alumni gathered on campus to celebrate the university’s 100th homecoming, a highly anticipated event for the historically Black institution in Macon County. ALEA agents were alerted to the scene at approximately 1:40 a.m., where they discovered that a non-university individual had been fatally shot. The victim’s family was notified.

Several others, including Tuskegee University students, sustained injuries and were rushed to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery, the university announced in a press release.

Disturbing footage shared on social media Sunday depicted the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, showing students scrambling for cover as gunshots rang out. In one video posted by user @DukeofLight, bullets were heard ricocheting off a fence as a student sought shelter behind a car.

According to 12 WSFA, the shooting occurred at the West Commons on-campus apartments. Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown stated that the event was not an official or approved university-sanctioned homecoming event.

“We did not nor could we have planned for security at an event that was not approved in advance or officially sanctioned by the university,” Brown told reporters. “Nonetheless, it happened on our campus, and we take full responsibility for allowing a thorough investigation and implementing corrective actions.”

In response to the tragedy, Tuskegee University canceled all classes on Monday (Nov. 11) and Tuesday (Nov. 12) to help ALEA with its investigation efforts. The university has also made grief counselors available to support students as they cope with the traumatic event.
“Students should not hesitate to reach out for help through the Student Health Center if they choose to do so privately,” officials from the HBCU said.

Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, was arrested while leaving the scene of the campus shooting and was found in possession of a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, ALEA said, as reported by NPR. Myrick is facing a federal charge of possessing a machine gun, though ALEA has not indicated whether he used the weapon during the shooting or provided further details on the investigation. The agency also did not confirm whether Myrick was a student at Tuskegee University. ALEA has secured the campus and is now working in coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement to continue the investigation.

According to 12 WSFA, the victim of Sunday’s tragic homecoming shooting was identified as 18-year-old La’Tavion Johnson from Troy, Alabama. Johnson, who was not a student at Tuskegee University, had been enjoying the festivities with friends before the chaos erupted. His close friend, Janyla Avery, who was also injured in the shooting but survived, told the news outlet in an interview published on Nov. 11, “All we wanted to do was have fun. And one thing about us is we never leave each other. We all come together, everybody’s going to leave together. I just don’t understand.”

Johnson, who was described as a vibrant and outgoing young man by friends and family, was about to begin a new chapter in his life—he was set to start a job with the Alabama Department of Transportation the following week. Those who knew him remembered him as a “lively soul,” with his mother, Tamika, affectionately calling him a “mama’s boy.” However, she spoke with deep sorrow to the media, saying, “That was my baby.” His father, Larry, added while struggling to hold back tears, “He was a loving person. The life he had…”

Tuskegee University announced during Monday’s press conference that its campus would be closed to the public, effective immediately. All visitors will now be required to wear and display visitor badges while on campus. Additionally, starting immediately, everyone—students, faculty, and staff—will need to present a university-issued ID to access campus. The university emphasized that IDs must be worn at all times while on the premises. For those without an ID, the Public Safety office, located across from the main gate, will provide them with one.

Brown also announced that Tuskegee University had terminated its security chief and hired a new one, who will conduct a thorough review of the shooting incident.

Expanding on the details of the shooting, Brown explained that the unapproved homecoming event took place after all officially sanctioned events for the university’s 100th homecoming had concluded. While the campus remained open following the approved festivities, Brown noted that for the official events, the university had hired over 70 additional law enforcement officers from Alabama and Georgia to assist with crowd control. Tickets for all approved events were sold in advance to minimize ticket lines, although the university acknowledged that security checks would still cause delays and advised visitors to expect some inconvenience.

Brown stated that he has no intention of ending the university’s annual homecoming tradition, emphasizing its significance to both the university and its students. He highlighted the importance of the event to the HBCU community, reaffirming the university’s commitment to preserving the event’s rich legacy.

“We connect this generation of students with alumni who walked the same paths,” Brown stressed. “We reunite our students with old friends. We participate in a football game. We create elaborate step shows with links that go back as far back as our ancestors in West Africa. We sponsor concerts featuring popular entertainers. We celebrate our journey and how the university helped us along the way, and yes, we invest financially in the university that transformed our lives and that we all love dearly. Nothing we do in any way is associated with violence,” the university official added