For Tuskegee University, Homecoming 2024 will be remembered not for the class reunions, parties or football---but rather, for a mass shooting that left at least 1 dead and at least 16 others injured. The FBI Mobile Office is assisting the Tuskegee Police Department, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Fifth Judicial Circuit and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in the investigation of the weekend tragedy.
In statement released Sunday, State Police say officers found Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device. Myrick was found leaving the scene of the shooting that occurred on the campus of Tuskegee University. Myrick was arrested and charged federally with Possession of a Machine Gun.
Authorities say at approximately 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Special Agents received notification of multiple individuals shot on the campus of Tuskegee University in Tuskegee. An 18-year-old juvenile was confirmed deceased at the scene. A total of 16 individuals were injured over the course of the incident. Twelve were injured by gunfire and transported to area hospitals in Montgomery and Lee counties. Four other individuals sustained injuries that were not related to gunfire over the course of the incident.
In a statement, Tuskegee University says it is working with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency as it continues to investigate the shooting on campus early Sunday. All classes will be canceled on Monday to ensure the officers and their law enforcement partners are able to continue the investigation as easily as possible. The administration joins the students in mourning the event after such a joyous weekend and will provide grief counselors on Monday in the chapel for students who would like to come together to discuss what has happened. Students should not hesitate to reach out for help through the Student Health Center if they choose to do so privately.
A video circulating on social media captures the sounds of an extensive exchange of gunfire as what appears to be students, attempt to take cover between parked cars to protect themselves.
On June 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the federal ban bump-stock devices--- accessories that allow semiautomatic rifles effectively to mimic the firing capabilities of a fully automatic weapon, saying it does not meet the statutory definition of a “machinegun” and that in issuing a contrary rule, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority. According to a report by Everytown.org, as a result of that ruling, bump stocks are now legal to buy and possess in many states across the country. Many states that do not have their own laws on the books specifically banning bump stocks will immediately find that bump stocks are legal. Up to 34 states may be affected immediately.
As for the Tragedy in Tuskegee, ALEA is asking for the public’s assistance in this case. Anyone with information is asked to please submit tips at 1-800-CALL-FBI and upload any digital files regarding this incident teonline at: fbi.gov/tuskegeeshooting24.
