Mass shooting at Albany State University campus mars homecoming

ALBANY – The 19-year-old man fatally wounded during a mass shooting at the Albany State University campus following ASU’s homecoming football game on Saturday was not a student at the university, according to Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.

The coroner identified the victim as DepMorion Tayshawn Daniels of Atlanta. Daniels was pronounced dead at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital at 9:34 p.m.

“He was shot multiple times,” Fowler said.

Gunfire erupted on the East Campus of the university shortly before 9 p.m. Five others were shot, but they apparently did not have life-threatening wounds, the coroner said. The game wrapped up at about 5 p.m.

The campus is traditionally the site of gatherings after the game on homecoming weekend, Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard, an Albany State alumnus who attended the game but did not participate in any after-game festivities, said. Howard said the crowd on Saturday was the largest he has witnessed at the game.

“After the game, you have a lot of fraternities and sororities out on campus, just people having a good time seeing folks they only see once a year,” Howard said. “This is not only a wake-up call but a sign we want to be able to come together as a community and not have any knives or guns at these events.”

The commissioner said he believes that increasing safety will be a discussion going forward.

“Just because of the culture that we’re in, I think it’s something we’re going to see an increase in public safety to make sure the public is safe and the students are safe and the players are safe.

“My prayers and condolences go out to the person that was killed, and my prayers also go out to the other victims. And I’m wishing that individuals (realize) that this is not the way to settle their disputes. There’s a peaceful dialogue.”

Albany Police Chief Michael Persley sent an email to commissioners stating that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation and that any information released would come through the agency, Howard said.

As of mid-afternoon on Sunday the GBI had not released any additional information.

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