4 Hurt in Tuskegee University Shooting
Two visitors were shot and two Tuskegee students were hurt when gunfire erupted during a party at a student housing complex.
Photo: Jeff McCollough - stock.adobe.com
TUSKEGEE, Ala. — Four people were injured in an early morning shooting at a Tuskegee University student housing complex.
Officials said campus police responded to calls of shots fired at an “unauthorized” party at the school’s West Commons apartment complex around 12:48 a.m. Sunday, reports the Montgomery Advertiser. The Tuskegee Police Department and Macon County Sheriff’s Office were also dispatched.
Two people visiting campus were shot and two students were hurt trying to leave the scene. One of the shooting victims was treated and released from a local hospital while the other suffered life-threatening injuries.
Tuskegee President Charlotte Morris announced in a social media post on Sunday night that classes would be canceled Monday “to allow students to take time to focus on their well-being and reach out to the Counseling Center as needed.” Morris also said healing workshops, trauma-informed support, and other resources would be made available.
Student Recalls Shooting, Criticizes Campus Security Measures
Freshman Mechel Winters told WSFA that she heard multiple gunshots go off at the party and people were tripping as they tried to escape. Footage from outside the party shows at least 30 bullet casings on the ground.
“I just expected it to be a safe place because we are on campus, and there should be security measures in place,” she said.
Winters said she feels several security procedures on campus aren’t up to par, including visitor management.
“My dorm is right next to the front gate. There have been instances where people can just come on campus and there’s no one even sitting in the [gate] check,” she said. “There’s times when the gate is just open or people can come through the back gate. They really only check for IDs when it’s a football game or when the senator was here last week.”
Winters also admonished the school for referring to the party as “unauthorized.”
“Them saying that the party was unauthorized to kind of switch the blame unto us is crazy because even if it was an authorized party, with the security measures we have in place, the same thing could have happened,” she said.
The investigation is being led by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. On Monday, Sergeant Jeremy Burkett said there were no suspects.
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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