Students Involved in Shooting at Texas College Suspended
The suspensions were announced as campus police investigate the incident.
Tyler Junior College has approximately 11,000 students enrolled each semester.
An unspecified number of students at Tyler Junior College in Texas have been suspended after shots were fired on campus Sept. 12.
No injuries were reported in the shooting, which TJC police say was the result of a dispute between a group of males.
The incident occurred around 11:42 p.m. when a group of people confronted a TJC student outside Sledge Hall. TJC police said in a statement that the group disbanded when officers arrived at the scene and officials determined the shooting did not pose an immediate threat to other students on campus, reports tylerpaper.com.
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TJC officials announced the suspensions Sept. 15 but declined to disclose the number of students involved or the identities of the students, citing an ongoing investigation by TJC police and the Tyler Police Department. A spokesman with TPD says TJC police are leading the investigation. No arrests have been made.
“TJC has taken immediate action to suspend students involved in the incident,” TJC marketing executive Kim Lessner says. “Anytime you have reports of shots fired, we take that very seriously, so we do have an investigation. This is of great importance.”
Among the evidence being investigated at the scene is a bullet hole in an air conditioning unit. The TJC police crime log indicated the bullet was from a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson.
Campus Safety has reported on the law that went into effect Aug. 1 in Texas that allows permit holders to bring concealed handguns onto college campuses. That law fueled protests as classes began this year, although it’s unclear the suspects involved in the shooting had a concealed handgun permit.
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