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One Killed, Others Injured in Deadly Shooting at Historic Tuskegee Homecoming
TUSKEGEE, Ala. – A tragic shooting during Tuskegee University’s 100th homecoming celebration early Sunday morning left one person dead and several others injured, including students. Authorities are working to piece together the events surrounding the chaotic scene on the historic campus.
Shooting Erupts at West Commons Apartments on Campus
The shots rang out around 1:40 a.m. at West Commons. According to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Lt. Jeremy Burkett, this is an on-campus apartment complex.
Officials say, in the hours since, law enforcement and university personnel have been coordinating to secure the area and notify students’ families.
In AL.com, Tuskegee spokeswoman Thonnia Lee states the person killed was not affiliated with the university. The Macon County Coroner’s Office confirmed only one fatality as of 9 a.m. Sunday but has yet to identify the victim publicly.
Injured Students Hospitalized; Police Describe Chaotic Scene
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Local hospitals, including East Alabama Medical Center and Baptist South Hospital, are treating several individuals injured in the incident, though the severity of their injuries remains unclear.
Tuskegee Police Chief Mardis told AL.com that he helped load an injured student and noticed her injuries.
“A female student was shot in the stomach, and a male student was shot in the arm,” said Chief Mardis.
Mardis also mentioned a third injured individual but did not have additional details.
The on-campus shooting reportedly erupted amid the celebration of Tuskegee’s centennial homecoming, which included a football game against Miles College. On Sunday, Miles College released a statement of support:
“Our hearts are with the Tuskegee family as they face the tragic aftermath.”
Chief Mardis expressed frustration at the difficulty first responders faced reaching the scene due to the large crowd.
“Some idiots started shooting,” Mardis said. “You couldn’t get the emergency vehicles in there; there were so many people there.”
Officers say Tuskegee city police were also handling an unrelated double shooting at a nearby Texaco gas station.
Campus Leaders, Trustees Urge Resilience Amid Crisis
Social media posts from the scene captured chilling audio of rapid gunfire as people crouched behind cars and nearby structures.
University officials have since been working to account for students and update parents on the situation, with an investigation underway led by ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation.
AL.com states Amare’ Hardee, Tuskegee’s Student Government Association president, addressed the campus community in a convocation service Sunday morning, speaking to the shock and grief the shooting has brought to students and staff.
“Our gathering is shadowed by a heartbreaking event,” Hardee said. “This senseless act of violence has touched each of us, whether directly or indirectly. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families, and we stand united in our commitment to supporting each and every one of us.”
Norma B. Clayton, chair of Tuskegee’s Board of Trustees, encouraged resilience in her remarks.
“We will get through this together,” said Clayton, “Because in tough times, tough people band together, and they survive. And we’ve been surviving for 143 years. I think we can continue to survive even more.”
Investigation Ongoing; No Arrests Made
No arrests have been made, and investigators plan to release further information on Sunday afternoon as they examine evidence and interview witnesses.
The Tuskegee shooting is a devastating incident for the tight-knit university community, which is renowned for its legacy as one of the nation’s oldest historically Black institutions.
HBCU homecomings are meant to be a safe space. We couldn’t even imagine the aftermath of this horrible scene.
BOSSIP is sending prayers to the community and will release updates to this story.
