Tuskegee University has announced a big shift on its campus after the historic HBCU experienced a mass shooting on its campus.
One person died and 16 others were injured in a mass shooting during the school’s homecoming celebration — its 100th — over the weekend. The Alabama-based HBCU sent out a statement informing the world that it would no longer be an open campus.
“Effective immediately, everyone will be required to show a university ID to enter campus,” Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown said in a statement. “Students, faculty, and staff must wear their IDs at all times while on campus. The university says for those who don’t have one, the team in the Public Safety building across from the main gate will be able to provide one.
La’Tavion Johnson, an 18-year-old, was killed in the mass shooting. Johnson was not a student at Tuskegee University.
“An annual homecoming is something we have been doing for 100 years. It is a tradition at many schools and especially so at historically Black colleges and universities,” he said. “We have no plans to change that tradition.”
Four people went to the hospital with non-shooting-related injuries, and 12 others were hit in the mass shooting.
“We did not nor could we have planned for security at an event that was not approved in advance or officially sanctioned by the university,” Brown said. “Nonetheless, it happened on our campus, and we take full responsibility for allowing a thorough investigation and implementing corrective actions.”