Savannah State University students resume classes following fatal shooting
Two southern universities were placed on lockdown Thursday following separate alerts of gunmen on campus.
A student at Savannah State University in Georgia has died after being shot at the campus student union late on Thursday, prompting a lockdown as authorities searched for the gunman.
University officials say Christopher Starks, a junior from the Atlanta area, was shot during an “altercation” on campus and taken to a hospital where he died.
No arrests have been made, but the school said classes would resume on Friday morning and encouraged students to reach out to grief counselors.
“Mr. Starks was the only individual transported to a medical facility following the incident,” university spokeswoman Loretta Heyward told the Associated Press.
The incident occurred on the same day another southern campus was locked down after receiving warnings of a potential shooter, this time a student at Mississippi State University who officials say had been suicidal and threatened to kill others.
After a short time, campus police arrested Phu-Qui Cong "Bill" Nguyen, a freshman from Madison and computer engineering major. They did not find him with a gun.
Officials had been searching for the student after receiving alerts from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, who had been called by concerned Army recruiters, according to Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
Mr. Strain said Mr. Nguyen had been speaking with an Army recruiter on the phone when the recruiter became concerned that he was considering suicide. He then told a coworker to call MSU.
Nguyen was taken to a hospital and referred for a psychological evaluation.
"We have watched over him in a compassionate manner despite the disruption on campus," MSU spokesman Sid Salter told the AP.
Officials say Nguyen will face misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.
This report contains material from the Associated Press and Reuters.