A Death at Tuskegee Casts a Harsh Light on Gun Violence Stalking HBCU Celebrations

When gunfire erupted during the centennial homecoming celebration at Tuskegee University on Nov. 10, 2024, the gathering turned from an expression of Black joy into the site of the highest-casualty shooting recorded at a historically Black college or university homecoming. Among the victims was 18-year-old La’Tavion Johnson of Troy, Alabama, who was fatally struck by two bullets while shielding a bystander. Thirteen other people sustained gunshot wounds and four more were injured during the melee, according to reporting by The Trace and Capital B.

The shooting has cast a somber light on an escalating pattern impacting Black institutions across the country. According to data documented by the Violence Project, 280 shooting incidents occurred across American colleges between 2000 and 2025, claiming 370 lives. While HBCUs make up only about 2% of the nation's postsecondary institutions, an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety revealed that 81% of college homecoming shootings take place on or near HBCU campuses. Similar violent episodes disrupted homecoming activities in 2024 at South Carolina State University, Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Researchers and students point out that HBCUs are grappling with the fallout of wider societal challenges and severe resource disparities. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed that public HBCUs had faced historic state-level underfunding exceeding $12 billion across 16 states. James E. Jones V, an educational researcher who examined HBCU shootings in his doctoral studies, explained that budget deficits often force non-revenue departments—including campus police and security infrastructure—to absorb severe cuts first, leaving institutions vulnerable during large open gatherings.

Compounding the issue is the reality that perpetrators are frequently unaffiliated with the universities they disrupt. School violence researcher Peter F. Langman noted that individuals without ties to the schools are driving these shootings, contrasting with traditional mass shooter profiles on college grounds. In the Tuskegee case, federal and state charges followed against several individuals from Montgomery, none of whom were Tuskegee students. Among them, 25-year-old Jaquez Myrick was sentenced on a federal weapons charge involving a Glock fitted with an illegal conversion switch, while Jeremiah Williams faced weapons possession charges and three other men were indicted for discharging firearms on school grounds.

In the aftermath, Tuskegee implemented tightened gate access and remote learning for a week, though family members and surviving victims maintain that basic perimeter controls were absent the night of the incident. Approximately 10 people, including Johnson’s parents and wounded alumnus LaTroy Wagner Jr., have filed lawsuits against Tuskegee University and International Protection Investigation Agency alleging negligence and inadequate security. The Johnson family continues to cope with unfathomable grief, having laid their son to rest alongside his older sister, Ta'Mya Johnson, who died in a vehicle crash 18 months earlier.