HBCU Homecomings have been a staple, celebrated by celebs, alums and members of the Black neighborhood for many years. However, may outsiders from surrounding areas selecting to attend these celebrations be placing folks at risk?
In this TSR Investigates unique, a Clark Atlanta freshman, Damarion Seaton is talking out about his expertise following a taking pictures at a current homecoming occasion and sharing the main points surrounding the moments earlier than he was shot.
Shootings At HBCU Homecomings Mar Celebrations, Put Students In Danger, Attendants Say
Similar occasions occurred simply days prior at a live performance at Morehouse College the place G Herbo was the headliner and that exact same day at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina throughout an Asian Doll efficiency.
TSR additionally spoke to campus officers and Atlanta Police to see what they plan on doing to make occasions safer for college students, who say they worry for his or her wellbeing now when going to homecoming occasions.
Will HBCU’s be capable of clear up these issues by beefing up safety? Or will they’ve to shut their occasions to outsiders totally? The Shade Room investigates…
Seaton, the Clark Atlanta freshman, mentioned it was a late evening vibe, with meals, music, dancing exterior the Woodruff Library on the Atlanta college heart.
“We were all hanging out and they get to shooting, shooting right in the middle of where we was at and I got shot, I got grazed,” Seaton instructed TSR Investigates’ Justin Carter. “I guess in my case I’m just used to it – where I come from (Chicago)” – one of the vital harmful and lethal cities within the nation.
Seaton was amongst three college students shot that evening. A feminine sufferer refused medical consideration on the scene.
Three Students Shot At Clark Atlanta Homecoming: “You’d Think You Would Be Safe On Campus”
The Chicago native selected to attend faculty in Atlanta for a recent begin.
“You would think you’d be safe on campus,” Seaton went on to say. “But at the same time, it’s also not shocking.”
Clark University Chief of Police Debra Williams mentioned the division has since elevated officer patrols and added the incident stays beneath investigation.
Student Shot At Morehouse College Homecoming – The First Since 2019 – A Day Prior To Clark Shootings
Meanwhile, simply in the future prior at a Morehouse College, the scene at homecoming was no totally different. As college students danced and sang together with G Herbo manning emcee duties, one scholar was shot in the course of the live performance.
Video reveals the rapper performing as a gunshot can clearly be heard within the background.
Ajah Crittenden, who recorded the viral clip, was within the entrance row for that present, and spoke completely with TSR Investigates’ Justin Carter.
“I was recording him and you just hear loud pops,” she mentioned. “Nobody knew what it was at first, Herb was just standing there too. He didn’t even know what it was.”
She mentioned she panicked a bit of bit, however “knew I had to stay strong because my friend was panicking too.”
No Metal Detectors Used At Morehouse Homecoming, With Students Even Forcing Their Way In Past Security
No one was checked on the door previous to the live performance at Morehouse, as a result of the live performance was already working late. It was the primary homecoming occasion on the college since 2019, having closed down festivities in 2020 and 2021 as a result of Coronavirus pandemic.
In truth, college students really compelled the doorways open earlier than officers may get them by way of metallic detectors.
“We didn’t know where it was coming from and there wasn’t a lot of exits,” Crittenden added.
When requested if she feels secure on campus, she replied she does, saying “there is only so much the (security) guards can do,” however famous that one thing must be carried out to stop incidents like this from occurring sooner or later.
“It is an open campus, and there is more of us than there are of them (security guards). They should have prepared better and had more guards out here,” she mentioned.
Similar Shooting At Livingstone College During Asian Doll Homecoming Concert, Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder
And add extra safety guards is strictly what Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, did after an identical homecoming taking pictures at their campus.
As Asian Doll carried out in entrance of a raucous crowd of scholars, a battle reportedly broke out within the viewers, with the sound of gunshots caught on video as within the Morehouse incident.
Janiya White, who was at that occasion, injured her foot amidst the chaos.
“Seeing people on the ground and being pulled away on stretchers. It just made me break down and cry,” White instructed an area NBC affiliate.
Police say 21-year-old Talib Kelly was shot in the course of the Livingstone College incident, nevertheless he was additionally named as a suspect as properly.
Kelly, who was not a scholar on the college, has since been charged with tried first-degree homicide, discharging a firearm on instructional property, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Police are additionally trying right into a second attainable suspect within the case.
Livingstone College President Says School Can’t Close Doors To Community, But Changes Will Be Made After Homecoming Shooting
When requested how a non-student may attend the faculty’s homecoming celebration, Livingstone College President Dr. Anthony Davis instructed TSR Investigates that “we open our doors to everyone.”
Dr. Davis mentioned it will be a “knee-jerk reaction” to shut the campus off from the neighborhood, noting the underlying problems with the town-and-gown selection.
“We open our doors to everyone,” Dr. Davis mentioned. “And I think it’s irresponsible on our part to say ‘hey, let’s close our campus to the community,’ that wouldn’t be good. It’s that knee-jerk reaction.”
However, modifications will probably be made, Davis mentioned, with metallic detectors and a clear-bag coverage that they already had in place for soccer video games.
Both Spellman and Morehouse schools held their homecoming occasions over the weekend with out incident, with the Chief of Police at Spellman saying they did make use of additional officers in anticipation of any potential shootings.
There are a number of main HBCU homecomings developing this weekend, with Texas A&M, Florida A&M University, Delaware State, North Carolina A&T. All of them mentioned they’ve applied clear bag insurance policies and will probably be beefing up patrols at their respective occasions.
TSR Investigates explores chilly instances and particular curiosity information tales underrepresented in mainstream media.