In the early hours of November 10th, 2024, a shooting during Tuskegee University’s homecoming festivities left one dead and sixteen injured. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) arrested Jaquez Myrick as he was attempting to leave the scene, and later arrested a second man, Jeremiah Williams, in connection with the shooting. Both men were federally charged with possession of a machine gun. Myrick was found with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device, and Williams possessed an AR pistol.
On the morning of the shooting, Tuskegee Police Officer Alan Ashley heard gunfire and ran towards the source of the sound. There, the officer found Jaquez Myrick, holding his modified pistol, along with the body of 18-year-old La’Tavion Jashun Johnson, the victim of the shooting. Myrick also possessed nine magazines, containing thirty rounds each, when arrested. At the time, Myrick admitted to discharging his firearm, but insisted that he had not shot at anyone.
Although the arrests were in connection with the mass shooting, the federal complaint against Myrick did not allege that Myrick shot anyone. Rather, the charges were directed at the firearm he possessed. 18 U.S.C. §922(o) federally prohibits possession or transfer of a machine gun. Under the chapter, the parameters for which firearms are classified as machine guns are defined by the National Firearms Act in 26 U.S.C. §5845(b). The National Firearms Act defines machine guns broadly, encompassing any weapon which automatically shoots, is designed to automatically shoot, or can be restored to automatically shoot more than one shot without manual reloading. Applying this definition, §922(o) prohibits the firearms possessed by both men.
The Tuskegee University homecoming shooting reflects a broader pattern in Alabama firearm sales. Andrew Erdmann, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, began investigating machine-conversion devices, like the device possessed by Myrick, in July of 2023. After several months of investigation extending into 2024, law enforcement concluded that such devices were both possessed and distributed in Montgomery. Although Myrick asserted that he purchased the conversion switch, potentially through such channels, Erdmann testified that he believed the weapon was 3D-printed, suggesting the existence of additional channels to manufacture and distribute illegal firearms.
While the events of November 10th were tragic, the Tuskegee community responded with resilience, banding together in the face of violence. The homecoming shooting was the second shooting incident on Tuskegee’s campus in a thirteen-month period, with a previous shooting in September 2023 leaving four injured. The chairperson of Tuskegee University’s board of trustees reminded residents of the importance of community, addressing attendees at a convocation service with the message that “in tough times, people band together and they survive.” Following the shooting, Tuskegee University increased security members, requiring a university ID for any person entering campus. Additionally, the University appointed a new campus security chief, reflecting the University’s desire to avoid future acts of senseless violence.
If you have a Federal Criminal case, a State Criminal case, a Municipal Case or a Family Law case in the Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama, or any federal jurisdiction in the Eleventh Circuit, including Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, contact Joe Ingram or Ingram Law LLC at 205-825-LAWS or 205-335-2640.
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