Tuskegee student reflects on deadly weekend violence on campus

(11 Nov 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuskegee, Alabama - 11 November 2024
1. Exterior signage at Tuskegee University
2. Homecoming banner along fence
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sid Guynn, Tuskegee University Student:
"I felt like the day was going real good and then it just ended off on a bad note, but it could have been prevented."
4. Aerial footage of homecoming floats
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sid Guynn, Tuskegee University Student:
"I feel like the Tuskegee background is always there. Like the legacy is always there. Like the shootout doesn't affect Tuskegee in a way. It just affects other people's opinions on what Tuskegee is about. Which Tuskegee is just a place you come to which... I came to Tuskegee and I love it here. I still love it after what happened."
6. Aerial of homecoming floats
7. Decorations on gate at the university
STORYLINE:
The shooting at Tuskegee University on homecoming weekend left one man dead and injured at least 16 other people early Sunday, a dozen of them by gunfire, authorities said. An arrest was announced hours later. Many of the injured were students.

The man killed in the homecoming weekend shooting at Tuskegee University has been identified as 18-year-old La'Tavion Johnson, of Troy, Alabama, who was not a student, the local coroner said Monday.

Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, was taken into custody while leaving the scene of the campus shooting and had been found with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

The agency did not say whether Myrick was a student at the historically Black university, where the shooting erupted as the school’s 100th homecoming week was winding down.

It was not immediately known if Myrick had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. He was being held in the Montgomery County jail, online booking records show.

Twelve people were wounded by gunfire, and four others sustained injuries not related to the gunshots, the state agency said. Several were being treated at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery, the university said in a statement.

Their conditions were not immediately released, but Macon County Coroner Hal Bentley said he understands that at least one of the people injured has been in critical condition.

The FBI joined the investigation and said it was seeking tips from the public, as well as any video witnesses might have. It set up a site online for people to upload video. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also was involved in the investigation, a local prosecutor said.

Tuskegee University student Sid Guynn spoke about the incident Monday, reflecting on what it meant for the college.

"I feel like the Tuskegee is always there. Like the legacy is always there. Like the shootout doesn't affect Tuskegee in a way. It just affects other people's opinions on what Tuskegee is about," Guynn said.

AP Video by Brent Stewart and Safiyah Riddle.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected].

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...