Student killed in shooting at Savannah State University

Author: associated press
Published:
MGN

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Authorities are investigating after a shooting at Savannah State University killed a student and prompted a lockdown at the Georgia school Thursday night.

A statement posted on the university’s website identified the deceased as Christopher Starks, a 22-year-old junior from the Atlanta area. The statement says he died at a hospital of gunshot wounds sustained during an altercation at the student union. Additional details on the nature of the fight weren’t immediately available.

The campus lockdown was lifted around midnight, university spokeswoman Loretta Heyward told The Associated Press.

No arrests have been made and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation with assistance from campus police, Savannah State University officials said.

The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and the shooter has not been identified, GBI officials said in a statement Friday morning.

University officials said classes would be delayed until 10 a.m. Friday and grief counselors will be available on campus.

Savannah State University officials used social media accounts to organize a Friday afternoon prayer vigil at the Felix-Alexis Circle Unity Plot.

The university was founded in 1890, and university officials say it is the oldest public historically black college in Georgia.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.