HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama A&M University was put in lockdown Tuesday after a shooting outside a residence hall injured two people.
Huntsville Police said two men shot each other following an argument, reports WAFF. Officials said it was an isolated incident and that there was never an active shooter threat on campus.
One of the men drove himself to Huntsville Hospital with minor injuries. A police spokesperson said the second person, 23-year-old Willie Brandon Nance, also suffered minor injuries and was taken into custody on A&M’s campus. He was booked in the Madison County Jail on an aggravated assault charge.
HPD was called to assist A&M Police around 5:40 p.m. Students were sent an emergency alert around 5:44 p.m. and the campus was placed on lockdown. The scene was cleared just after 7 p.m. and the lockdown was lifted.
A&M student Nuke Mills said the two men were fighting over food. When he realized both men had guns, he left the area. Another student, Jania Toney, told News 19 she heard multiple gunshots.
“Like 10 gunshots, back to back to back, really loud,” Toney said. “It was close, like right behind the building. It was loud in there and you just heard people — shooting — and running.”
Madisyn Hatter, a senior, said she was happy with how the campus handled the incident.
“It’s usually a safe campus, so it’s unsettling to see this happen but hopefully…I mean I think they handled it pretty well,” she said.
In a statement Wednesday morning, President Daniel Wims urged the A&M community to ensure they are signed up to receive emergency alerts.
“As with all campus emergencies, Bulldog Alerts were prioritized to keep us all aware as this incident developed,” he wrote. “I encourage all who live, learn, and work on The Hill to make sure you are registered to receive these critical updates as one of our campus’ first lines of defense in keeping all Bulldogs safe.”
