The identity of the 18-year-old man who was fatally shot during homecoming festivities this weekend at Tuskegee University has been revealed.
La’Tavion Johnson died and at least 16 more people were injured after suspected gunman Jaquez Myrick, 25, opened fire Sunday on the Alabama campus.
Johnson was not a student at Tuskegee University, the coroner confirmed.
Several other victims, including Tuskegee University students, were injured and are receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery.
Myrick was taken into custody while leaving the scene of the campus shooting and was found with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
Myrick faces a federal charge of possession of a machine gun.
Who was Tuskegee University shooting victim La’Tavion Johnson?
Johnson’s parents Tamika and Larry Johnson told WSFA that their son was a “lively soul” who was set to begin a career next week at the Alabama Department of Transportation.
La’Tavion Johnson was a graduate of Charles Henderson High School in Troy.
“He was a loving person,” Larry Johnson told the outlet.
Tamika Jonhson joked that her son was a “mama’s boy,” but added, “that was my baby.”
The Johnson family was already grieving the recent death of La’Tavion Johnson’s sister, leaving behind a son who La’Tavion Johnson helped raise.
“So being here again, seeing them mourn, it hurts me,” his aunt, Shajuana Jackson, told the outlet.
Larry Johnson said he plans to honor his son’s life by speaking out against gun violence.
“If I could just touch one person and stop the gun violence. It really hurts, it hurts. You’re missing your child all because somebody wants to shoot,” he said.
Newsweek has contacted the Alabama Department of Transportation, Tamika and Larry Johnson, and Shajuana Jackson for comment.
What happened at Tuskegee University?
On November 10 around 1:40 a.m., police responded to reports of gunshots fired at 1200 West Montgomery Road, located in the West Commons apartment complex near the school.
Tuskegee University student Sid Guynn told The Associated Press that he hid under a car when he heard the gunshots, then ran back to his dorm, frightened by what sounded to him like a machine gun.
“It was terrifying; I couldn’t find my phone or my brother,” Guynn said.
His brother is not a student at the university, he said and was visiting when the barrage of gunshots sent students diving to the ground or running for their lives.
Tuskegee University canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday. Virtual and in-person mental health counseling is also available to students.
“In an abundance of caution, only the Lincoln gate will be open for vehicle or foot traffic,” the university said in an update on Monday.
“Everyone will be required to show a university ID to gain access to campus. Expect delays at the main entrance as IDs are required for entry. It is required that students, faculty and staff wear their IDs at all times while on campus. If you don’t have one, the team will be in the Public Safety building across from the main gate to provide one.”
Founded in 1881, Tuskegee University is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school’s total enrollment was 2,846 students in the fall of 2023.
Who is suspected Tuskegee University shooter Jaquez Myrick?
Questions surrounding Myrick remain unanswered.
It is unclear whether Myrick is a student at the historically Black university.
It was not immediately known if Myrick had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Online booking records show he was being held in the Montgomery County jail.
Newsweek has contacted Tuskegee University for comment.
This story includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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