Though no arrests have been made in the shooting incident that sent three Grambling State University students to the hospital Monday night, Sgt. Ruby Jones said that they know who they are looking for- a non-student. Now, the university police have focused their attention on a male suspect who is most likely responsible for pulling the trigger.
“Our students, faculty and staff, and the parents, relatives and friends of our students have nothing to worry about,” added Jones, who is the leading officer of the investigation.
The campus shooting escalated between three or four students and non-student(s) after a fight broke out in front of Douglass Hall, a freshman dormitory.
According to Will Sutton Jr., the university’s communications director and spokesperson, the university received a telephone call from a student residential assistant, and GSUPD responded quickly. Though the RA wishes to remain anonymous, Jones said she is greatful that the call was made before the situation got out of hand.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found three students who sustained bullet wounds lying on the ground: Tracy Lamar Greene Jr., 19, Brandon Cooper, 21, and Jarion Walker, 20. Greene, who is the son of former Grambling football star Tracy Greene, was shot in his lower leg, and rushed in an ambulance to Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston.
Walker, a Westwego native, was also shot in the leg and Cooper had gunshot wounds in his right forearm and left thigh. According to Sutton, they were not transported to the hospital by amblulance.
All three are from the New Orleans area and were released from the hospital Tuesday.
According to Sgt. Jones, about 40 to 50 students were in the area when the shooting incident occurred at 7:14 p.m. That number of people being outside is not unusual said Jones, because students are taking advantage of the warmer temperatures.
“Our police team has done an incredible job, quickly assessing the situation at the scene … interviewing a number of witnesses and determining what happened, and even why.”
No witnesses approached about the incident would comment because they feared for their safety.
Since the shooting, university police have increased security in high traffic areas such as McCall Dining Hall, Tiger Express food court and Freshman Village, where Douglass Hall is located.