Following Sunday's shooting, Tuskegee University will no longer be open to the public. The new measure was announced by Mark Brown, president and CEO of Tuskegee University, during a news conference Monday afternoon.
“The Tuskegee University community is heartbroken by what happened on our campus Sunday morning,” Brown said. “Moving forward, no one will be allowed on campus without authorized permission or a school-issued identification badge.”
Brown said the new policy takes effect immediately. “Tuskegee University is no longer an open campus,” he added. “We require IDs for everyone to be displayed to enter campus and worn at all times while on campus.”
The shooting occurred around 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, near the university's West Commons Dorm as students and alumni were wrapping up celebrations for the university’s 100th homecoming. The Macon County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 18-year-old La’Tavion Johnson, who was not a Tuskegee student. At least 16 others, including 12 who sustained gunshot wounds, were injured in the shooting, according to police.
This marks the second shooting at the university in recent months. In September 2023, four people were injured in a shooting at a student housing complex, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is leading the investigation, announced Sunday evening that 25-year-old Jaquez Myrick of Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested after attempting to leave campus. He faces federal charges of possessing a handgun with a machine gun conversion device. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Myrick was one of the shooters.
Tuskegee Police Chief Patrick Mardis told AL.com that officers were responding to a double shooting off-campus when they received the call about the university shooting. “Some idiots started shooting,” Mardis said. “You couldn’t get the emergency vehicles in there, there were so many people.”
Mardis said two students were among those injured a female student was shot in the stomach and a male student was shot in the arm.
Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson, who also responded to the scene, told ABC news the chaotic situation was overwhelming. “We had to immediately go there. You have to take out the threat first, and we found out that wasn’t the case at that time,” Brunson said. “As we were running to the dorm, trying to get to the active shooter, we saw people hurt, people laying down, people asking for help. But we had to tell them, ‘We’ll be back.'”
Brunson described the scene as horrific. “Seeing the faces of the students, the anger, the hurt, the fear it was just a horrific scene,” he said. “I sympathize with the students because they shouldn’t have seen anything like this.”
The investigation is ongoing. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact their anonymous tip line at 334-215-7067.
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