A shooting on the campus of Tennessee State University, based in Nashville, has left one former student in critical condition.
Larry Bates, 19, was shot in the chest outside of Boyd Hall, a residence hall on the TSU campus around 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2017.
While the suspect is unknown, according to the Tennessean, Bates was standing by the passenger side of a vehicle and talking to someone inside. Metro Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said that the gunshot was likely a result from the conversation that took place. Bates, who is in “very critical condition” at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, collapsed after being shot and was discovered by police in the same location.
The gunman immediately left the scene and as a result, the campus was not put on lockdown.
Bates was most recently enrolled as a student during the Spring 2017 semester but was not enrolled at the time of the shooting.
Officials are reviewing surveillance footage and have yet to release information about the gunman or vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting can report it to the Metro Police at 615-862-7901 or the TSU campus police at 615-963-5171.
This event harkens back to March 2017, as UTM was put into lockdown after a shooting that took place nearby. As per WBBJ7 News, 21 year-old Tommy Fuller was accused of firing shots into the apartments of the 300 block on Hannings Lane. The shooting transpired after an altercation in the University Center on the UTM campus. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported after the shooting.
The University of Tennessee at Martin has one of the safest campuses in the United States. The Department of Public Safety allows students to store and lock-up firearms for classroom or recreational use. These firearms can be picked up from the Department of Public Safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. UTM also has many areas on campus where local authorities can be reached instantly.
