Man accused of firing gun inside AAMU dorm same day as officer-involved shooting

Brian Lawson
·2 min read

NORMAL, Ala. (WHNT) – State law enforcement officials tell News 19 the March 18 officer-involved shooting at Alabama A&M remains under investigation.

But, Madison County court records show at least one person has been charged with firing a Glock 17 handgun in the Knight Living and Learning Complex on the Alabama A&M campus on March 18.

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Juvuan Maurice Richards, 20, has been charged with firing in an occupied building, court records show. The arrest warrant also says the building was occupied by “officer and students.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Richards was booked into the jail on March 18 and bonded out on March 22 on a $50,000 bond. Alabama A&M University was the arresting agency, the sheriff’s office said.

Last week, Alabama A&M officials and later Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials, said there was an officer-involved shooting in the dorm at the Knight Center. One person was shot, officials said. Richards has not been identified by law enforcement officials as involved in the incident.

Alabama A&M issued a statement following the shooting that reads in part:

“Earlier today, there was an officer-involved shooting at the Knight Complex on the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) campus resulting in one injury. The incident occurred during a routine security check in the Knight Center and was contained within minutes.”

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In its news release last week, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said, “The incident occurred on the campus of Alabama A&M University in Huntsville after an officer with campus police encountered an individual with a firearm in the stairwell of one of the residence halls. Gunfire was exchanged between the individual and officer. The individual, who is a student at the university, was injured and transported to Huntsville Hospital.”

The student was not identified by the university. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which was asked by the university to conduct the investigation, told News 19 it could not yet release the name of the student who was shot, their medical condition or if they were in custody.

Court records show Richards has a court-appointed attorney and waived his preliminary hearing, which was set for next week.

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