TUSKEGEE, Ala. — The parents of an 18-year-old fatally shot during a shooting incident at Tuskegee University have initiated a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming the institution did not implement sufficient security protocols that could have potentially averted the tragedy.
Tamika and Larry Johnson’s son, La’Tavion Johnson, was killed after a barrage of gunfire erupted at a party marking the conclusion of the university’s centennial homecoming celebrations, which took place outside a campus dormitory in the early hours of November 10. The rapid succession of gunfire prompted panic as students and guests fled; at least 16 individuals sustained injuries.
Although the local coroner reported that Johnson was not a student at the university, he had attended the festivities after graduating high school earlier that year. family members stated that Johnson was shot while attempting to shield another person from the incoming gunfire.
“It’s a heartbreaking incident that might have been prevented had there been adequate policing and security in place on campus,” said Ted Mann, the family’s attorney, in an email statement.
Mann also referenced a prior shooting incident in September 2023, which involved two visitors being shot and two students injured while leaving what campus officials described as an unauthorized gathering, according to local news reports.
The lawsuit alleges that the university “failed to undertake appropriate measures to protect residents, alumni, guests, visitors, and students,” especially in light of prior unspecified physical threats and incidents of violence.
Named in the lawsuit alongside the university are former police chief Terrance Calloway, the institution’s facilities management firm, and Jaquez Myrick, a 25-year-old who has been charged with illegal possession of a machine gun after being apprehended at the shooting site with a modified Glock pistol.
The legal filing emphasizes that the school permitted individuals, including Myrick, access to the campus without requiring identification and that vehicles were not checked for weapons.
Jeremiah Williams, 20, who was reportedly present during the shooting, has also been charged in federal court with illegal possession of a machine gun. It is important to note that neither Williams nor Myrick has been implicated in Johnson’s death or the injuries sustained by others, and both have denied firing their guns during the incident.
The legal representatives for both Williams and Myrick have not yet responded to inquiries regarding their respective cases.
A university spokesperson indicated that Tuskegee University does not comment on matters involving ongoing litigation.
In a press conference conducted the day after the shooting, university president Dr. Mark Brown announced the decision to replace Calloway and stated that the campus would henceforth be closed to the general public. Brown emphasized that all students and staff must display proper identification while on campus.
He noted that more than 70 additional security personnel were deployed for homecoming week, highlighting the existence of security checkpoints, which included metal detectors and physical pat-downs, at all official university events. Brown clarified that the party where the shooting occurred was not sanctioned by the institution.
“We could not have anticipated or arranged security for an event that was neither approved nor sanctioned by the university,” Brown commented. “However, the incident transpired on our premises, and we accept full responsibility for ensuring a comprehensive investigation and applying necessary corrective measures.”