Police arrest man in shooting on the Alabama A&M University
Huntsville Alabama August 24 2023
One person has been arrested after a shooting on the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) campus, according to the Huntsville Police Department (HPD).
A spokesperson with HPD told News 19 that Investigators with their Violent Crimes Unit determined the shooting was an ‘isolated incident’ and stemmed from an altercation between two people.
Officials said both people were injured in the shooting and taken to the hospital for treatment. Once released, they will both be facing assault charges, according to HPD. On Wednesday morning, Willie Brandon Nance, 23, was booked in the Madison County Jail and charged with assault in connection to the incident.
An emergency alert issued by AAMU said the incident happened near the Ernest L. Knight Complex Tuesday afternoon. HPD was called to assist AAMU Police around 5:40 p.m. and the scene was cleared just after 7 p.m., according to officials.
An HPD spokesperson said that initially, AAMU Police took the lead since it was on their campus, but they have now asked HPD to lead the investigation.
AAMU Chief of Police Montrez Payton held a press conference on Tuesday evening and gave some details about the incident. A full replay can be viewed below:
AAMU students on campus were shaken up after the incident and shared their perspectives with News 19.
Sophomore Jania Toney explained what she heard when the incident was taking place, “Like 10 gunshots, back to back to back, really loud… It was close, like right behind the building. It was loud in there and you just heard people — shooting — and running.”
Jala Staples, a junior, told News 19, “I was really scared for my life. I’ve never experienced nothing like that before… I just started running and I met my friend. I called them and told them to stay on the phone with me because my adrenaline was pumping.”
Senior Madisyn Hatter added, “It’s usually a safe campus, so it’s unsettling to see this happen but hopefully…I mean I think they handled it pretty well.”
On Wednesday morning, the President of the University provided the following statement:
Dear Alabama A&M University community, The safety and well-being of our students and campus community will always be our top priority. We deeply regret the distress caused by the unfortunate incident on our campus yesterday and want to assure you that we are taking every measure to maintain the ongoing safety and security of our campus.
I want to thank our campus police and University staff who worked quickly to move students to safety and provide updates in real time. I’m also proud of our students who displayed an incredible amount of patience and vigilance during an evolving emergency situation.
Last evening, Campus Police Chief Montez Payton provided the University’s official comments on the timeline of the events. All further inquiries will be directed to the Huntsville Police Department (HPD), which is leading the investigation.
In relation to the incident, HPD has indicated that the shooting was an isolated occurrence stemming from a confrontation between two individuals who both sustained minor injuries and received medical attention.
The HPD Violent Crimes Unit Investigators have determined that this was not an active shooter incident and that no evidence suggests the involvement of any other parties.
As with all campus emergencies, Bulldog Alerts were prioritized to keep us all aware as this incident developed. I encourage all who live, learn, and work on The Hill to make sure you are registered to receive these critical updates as one of our campus’ first lines of defense in keeping all Bulldogs safe.
I understand the concerns this incident has raised. Please know that we remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our campus community. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and take necessary actions to prevent such incidents in the future.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
