1 killed, 7 hurt in shooting near Grambling homecoming event

GRAMBLING, La. (AP) — Officials at Grambling State University have blamed “outsiders” for a recent spate of violence on campus, including a shooting that left one person dead and seven others wounded Sunday in northern Louisiana.

The shooting happened around 1 a.m. Sunday on the campus quad, according to officials at the historically Black university. The person who died wasn’t enrolled at the school, and the one victim who is a student was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. Officials have not released the identities of the victims or a potential suspect.

Trooper Michael Reichardt, a state police spokesperson, said the shooting happened about 100 yards (90 meters) from an indoor homecoming event, news outlets reported.

Homecoming events on Sunday as well as classes on Monday and Tuesday were canceled. The university set a curfew from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.

The school also will be limiting access and extracurricular activities, university President Rick Gallot said.

“Our students come here for an education and far too often it’s outsiders who have created these situations that have put life and limb in danger,” Gallot said in a news release. “That’s not why we’re here. That’s not what we’re about after 120 years, and so again, our priority is keeping our students safe.”

During a news conference Sunday, Gallot said the school has worked tirelessly to keep homecoming safe, news outlets reported.

“Yet, with all of our planning and coordination with our local, parish, regional, and state law enforcement partners, we still find ourselves grieving the loss of life and injuries just as too many communities in our country have experienced as well,” he said.

Early Wednesday morning, one person died and three others were wounded in a separate shooting on campus. The university said in a news release that the gunfire involved two people who weren’t enrolled at the school. Two students in the vicinity received injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

Jatavious Carroll, 18, was named a suspect in that earlier shooting, but has not yet been taken into custody, state police said in a news release Sunday evening. The agency is investigating both Grambling State shootings.