Campus Alert Archive
Tuskegee

Machine Guns at Midnight: Centennial Homecoming Celebration Ends in Mass Shooting at West Commons

ALshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

During the final hours of Tuskegee University's 100th homecoming weekend, multiple gunmen opened fire at a party near the West Commons on-campus apartments at approximately 1:40 AM on November 10, 2024. One person was killed and 16 others were injured, with 12 suffering gunshot wounds and 4 sustaining other injuries during the chaos.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
16
Institution
Tuskegee University
Hbcu · AL
~3,000 studentsTiger Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction169 chars
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ALERT: Shooting reported on campus near West Commons. Avoid the area immediately. Shelter in place and await further instructions from campus police.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from multiple news reports describing the campus notification; the shooting occurred at approximately 1:40 AM CST at an unsanctioned party near the West Commons apartments
Multiple gunmen opened fire from inside a Dodge Charger before exiting the vehicle and continuing to shoot
The event where the shooting occurred was not sanctioned by the university
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction194 chars
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY UPDATE: Multiple injuries reported from shooting near West Commons. Emergency responders are on scene. Continue to avoid the area and shelter in place. Campus is on lockdown.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage; 12 victims were transported to hospitals in Montgomery and Lee counties with gunshot wounds
Four additional individuals sustained non-gunshot injuries while fleeing the scene
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) took over the investigation
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction282 chars
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY UPDATE: Campus lockdown has been lifted. One person has been confirmed deceased. Multiple others have been transported to area hospitals. Classes are canceled for Monday, November 11. Counseling services are available. Contact campus police with any information.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports; the university confirmed one death and canceled Monday classes
Grief counselors were made available to the campus community
The campus required students and faculty to wear identification while on campus following the shooting
Context

Background

On November 10, 2024, Tuskegee University's centennial homecoming weekend ended in tragedy when multiple gunmen opened fire at a party near the West Commons on-campus apartments at approximately 1:40 AM CST. Witnesses described a scene of chaos as shooters inside a Dodge Charger fired multiple rounds before exiting the vehicle and continuing to shoot. The 18-year-old victim, La'Tavion Johnson of Troy, Alabama, was not a student at the university. Twelve people were injured by gunfire and four others sustained injuries while fleeing. Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery was arrested leaving the scene carrying a handgun modified with a machine gun conversion device (Glock switch) and was charged federally with possession of a machine gun. Myrick admitted to firing the weapon but denied aiming at anyone. The parents of La'Tavion Johnson later filed a lawsuit against Tuskegee University, alleging the school failed to provide adequate security for the homecoming events. The incident reignited national conversations about gun violence at HBCU homecoming celebrations and the proliferation of machine gun conversion devices.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooting involved firearms modified with machine gun conversion devices (Glock switches), which convert semi-automatic pistols to fully automatic fire
The party where the shooting occurred was not sanctioned by the university, raising questions about campus event oversight during homecoming
La'Tavion Johnson, the sole fatality, was not a Tuskegee student, highlighting the challenge of non-affiliated visitors during large campus celebrations
Outcome
18-year-old La'Tavion Johnson of Troy, Alabama was killed. Jaquez Myrick, 25, was arrested leaving the scene with a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device and charged federally with possession of a machine gun. Jeremiah Williams was also arrested. Classes were canceled on November 11.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Arrest made in Tuskegee University shooting that left 1 dead, 16 injured (NPR)
    npr.org
  2. News
    Arrest made in shooting at Alabama's Tuskegee University (CNN)
    cnn.com
  3. Source
    2024 Tuskegee University shooting (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
  4. News
    Witnesses describe a war zone on campus (NBC News)
    nbcnews.com
  5. News
    Parents of teenager killed in Tuskegee shooting sue school (Alabama Reflector)
    alabamareflector.com
Tags
mass-shootinghomecominghbcumachine-gun-conversionglock-switchalabamanon-student-victimunsanctioned-event
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion