US Shooting: 1 Killed, 16 Injured During Homecoming Celebration at Tuskegee University in Alabama

Atlanta: A shooting early Sunday that marred homecoming weekend at Tuskegee University in Alabama left one person de and left 16 ors injured, a dozen of m by gunfire, authorities said. One arrest was announced hours later.

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

agency's statement said Myrick faces a federal charge of possession of a machine gun. It did not say wher he was a student at historically Black university, where shooting erupted in early hours on Sunday as school's 100th Homecoming Week was winding down. Authorities said an 18-year-old man who died was not a university student but that some of injured were students.

It was not immediately known if Myrick h an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Twelve people were wounded by gunfire, and four ors sustained injuries not related to gunshots, state agency said earlier. ir conditions were not immediately released.

FBI joined investigation and said it is seeking tips from public, as well as any video witnesses might have. It set up a site online for people to uplo video.

Tuskegee University announced that classes Monday have been cancelled. Grief counselors will be available to help students in university's chapel.

parents of victim were notified, and several of injured were being treated at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery, university said in a statement.

An autopsy on 18-year-old was planned at state's forensic center in Montgomery, Macon County Coroner Hal Bentley told Associated Press on Sunday.

Tuskegee city's police chief, Patrick Mardis, said injured included a female student who was shot in stomach and a male student who was shot in arm.

City police were responding to an unrelated double shooting off campus when officers got call about university shooting at West Commons on-campus apartments, Mardis said.

“Some idiots started shooting,” Mardis told news site Al.com. “You couldn't get emergency vehicles in re, re were so many people re.” A person who answered phone at office of Tuskegee's police chief said no or information was available.

“Special Agents are still in process of garing and examining information relative to sequence of events which ultimately led to shooting,” state law enforcement agency said in a statement.

In his 37 years as coroner, Bentley said he couldn't recall any shootings during school's past homecoming celebrations. mood around small town of around 9,000 people was somber, he said.

shooting left everyone in university community shaken, said Amare' Hardee, a senior from Tallahassee, Florida, who is president of student government association.

“This senseless act of violence has touched each of us, wher directly or indirectly,” he said at school's homecoming convocation Sunday morning.

A pastor who les Tuskegee National Alumni Association told those at Sunday's convocation service that shooting is a reminder of fragility of life.

“It is in moments like se that we need to be reminded not to stand on our own understanding because in a moment like this, I don't have understanding,” said Rev. James Quincy III.

“I can only rely on my faith, and my prayer for our entire family, this community, as we close out this marvelous family reunion that we shared this week," Quincy said, "and most importantly because of that faith walk and that trust in God, that we have resilience, resilience in time of trouble.” Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama — school's opponent for Tuskegee's homecoming football game on Saturday — released a statement expressing sympathy.

“Today, our hearts are with Tuskegee family as y face tragic aftermath of recent shooting on campus,” college said. “We extend our deepest condolences to those impacted and pray for healing and justice. Miles College stands with you in this difficult time.” Sunday's shooting comes just over a year after four people were injured in a shooting at a Tuskegee University student housing complex. In that shooting, two visitors to campus were shot and two students were hurt while trying to leave scene of what campus officials described as an “unauthorized party” in September 2023, Montgomery vertiser reported.

About 3,000 students are enrolled at university about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Alabama's capital city of Montgomery.

university was first historically Black college to be designated as a Registered National Landmark in 1966. It was also designated a National Historic Site in 1974, according to school's website.

Norma Clayton, chairwoman of board of trustees, said at Sunday morning service that “we will get through this toger because in tough times, tough people band toger and y survive." 

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