A man has been charged in connection with a shooting incident at Tuskegee University that resulted in one fatality and at least 16 injuries. According to newly released federal documents, the accused, Jaquez Myrick, confessed to discharging his firearm during the incident but claimed he did not aim at anyone.
The federal complaint reveals that an officer, responding to the sound of gunfire, discovered a victim deceased from a gunshot wound and encountered Myrick wielding a Glock pistol. Myrick was later interrogated by federal and state agents who inquired about his actions during the shooting. In his statement, Myrick admitted to shooting the Glock but maintained that he did not target anyone specifically, according to an ATF agent involved in the investigation.
Myrick, who is 25 years old and hails from Montgomery, is under federal indictment for possession of a machine gun, specifically due to a conversion device attached to his weapon. The complaint does not list any accusations of him injuring others directly, and there is currently no legal representation noted for him within the court documents, raising questions regarding his defense.
The complaint gives a vivid account of the chaotic situation on campus. As reports of the gunshots emerged, a Tuskegee police officer rapidly responded but faced significant obstacles in accessing the scene due to the congested parking lot, which was flooded with people trying to flee the violence. Officer Alan Ashley ultimately exited his vehicle and rushed toward the sound of gunfire, subsequently discovering the deceased individual and apprehending Myrick at the scene.
Myrick’s Glock weapon was handed over to the responding federal agent, who confirmed through a field examination that it operated as a machine gun.
The incident unfolded as the university celebrated its 100th homecoming week, where several of the injured were students, including those who were affected while attempting to escape the mounting chaos. The deceased victim has been identified as La’Tavion Johnson, an 18-year-old from Troy, Alabama, who was not enrolled at the university, according to the local coroner’s report.
The FBI has now joined the inquiry, actively seeking information from the public and encouraging the submission of any video footage related to the shooting incident.
This case highlights an alarming trend concerning the use of machine gun conversion devices, which law enforcement officials across the nation have raised concerns about. These devices can easily convert firearms into automatic weapons with the aid of impractical components that might be 3D printed or purchased online.
Weapons equipped with these conversion devices have been implicated in numerous mass shootings. Notable incidents include the deaths of four individuals during a Sweet Sixteen party in Alabama and six fatalities in a Sacramento bar incident. Steve Dettelbach, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, remarked on the alarming speed at which these devices can be integrated into firearms.
The entire university community has been left in shock, as Amare’ Hardee, the student government association president and a senior at the institution, expressed during the homecoming convocation. He stated, “This senseless act of violence has touched each of us, whether directly or indirectly.”
This recent incident echoes a previous shooting at Tuskegee University, where four individuals were injured during a confrontation at a student housing complex last year. Campus officials described that occurrence as connected to an unauthorized gathering.
Tuskegee University, located approximately 40 miles east of Montgomery, has roughly 3,000 enrolled students and is notably recognized as the first historically Black college to be designated as a Registered National Landmark in 1966 and as a National Historic Site in 1974, as per the school’s historical records.
