One person is dead in a shooting early Sunday morning at a Louisiana university, just days after a person was killed in a similar incident on campus.
A shooting occurred at about 1:15 a.m. in the quad area at Grambling State University, located between Monroe and Shreveport, according to a statement from the school Sunday. One person, who was not an enrolled student, died and seven others were injured, authorities said.
One person is in critical condition and the others suffered non-life threatening injuries according to Louisiana State Police.
“At the time of the incident, a homecoming event was underway in McCall Dining Center,” the statement said. “All persons present sheltered in place and were released once the all-clear was given by University Police."
Louisiana State Police confirmed its detectives were investigating.
The school cancelled its homecoming events for Sunday and classes on Monday, offering counseling services to students and staff.
Sunday morning’s shooting is the second fatal incident on campus in a week.
Louisiana State Police issued an arrest warrant Friday for a suspect in the death of Damarius Murphy at Grambling State University. A 16-year-old was also injured in that incident, which occurred between two people who were not Grambling students.
It’s unclear whether the two incidents are related.
The university increased security on campus following the Wednesday shooting, telling students the next day to expect "increased law enforcement presence" as homecoming events continued.
Grambling State President Rick Gallot questioned in a statement Sunday why anyone would come onto campus to shoot innocent people.
"Our campus community has worked tirelessly to keep our students and others safe for the homecoming activities,” Gallot said. “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."
Extracurricular activities will be limited along with non-student access to the campus in the future, Gallot announced during a press conference Sunday.
Homecoming traditionally features a number of activities that draws alumni and local community members to the school, where events have occurred without incident for years, Gallot continued.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary about outsiders, as you would say, being here," Gallot said. "The difference now is outsiders who have a reckless disregard for the safety of others here on campus and we are not going to stand for it. We will we will not spare any effort to ensure that our campus is safe."/NBC
