pride rock residence hall

Two Fatally Shot, One Wounded at Texas A&M University-Commerce Residence Hall

All classes have been canceled at Texas A&M-Commerce through Monday evening as a result of an incident at one of the university’s residence halls, university officials said.

Two people were fatally shot and another was wounded at a Texas A&M University-Commerce residence hall.

University officials told students and faculty and staff members to remain sheltered in place Monday while the university investigates the shootings at the Pride Rock residence hall. The shelter-in-place request was posted on Twitter at 11:53 a.m. and was lifted shortly before 1:30 p.m.

The university confirmed the two deaths and said a third victim was being treated at a hospital. Details about the condition of the wounded person were not released.

Classes were canceled for the remainder of the day, the university said on Twitter and on its website.

The investigation is taking place at Pride Rock, a three-story residence hall for freshmen. Larry Cooper III, a freshman at the university, lives in Pride Rock. He said he left his room, which is on the second floor, just before the shelter-in-place was announced.

“There’s police blocking the doorways, but other than that we’re all just kind of sitting in and waiting on the news to happen,” Cooper said.

Although the campus-wide shelter-in-place request was lifted, the Pride Rock residence hall and surrounding areas were still blocked Monday afternoon. University police had stationed officers throughout campus, including all key gathering points.

The university said the Rayburn Student Center was available for displaced students and counselors were available for any students who needed assistance.

Photo by Michael Barera/Wikimedia Commons

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Campus Security Today.

Featured

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

  • How Composable Security Technologies Fortify Campus Safety

    Campus security teams have faced myriad risks threatening the safety and well-being of students and faculty this semester. Leaders have made tough tradeoffs about where to focus and how to channel limited resources to best protect their communities — but they now have a much-needed lift to their toolkit. Read Now

  • How Emerging Technologies are Transforming the School Security Landscape

    Students can't focus on learning when they're worried about their safety. As education systems nationwide face evolving security challenges with limited resources, a new generation of integrated technology solutions is helping schools create safer environments while maximizing staff efficiency. Read Now

  • How to Harness ALPR for Greater Security Efficiency and Collaboration

    Within higher education campus environments, the demand for greater security, efficiency, and resources is ever-present. Many higher education teams are adopting advanced technologies to secure their campus, streamline operations, and continue to best serve their students and faculty. Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology stands out for its ability to meet a wide range of campus objectives. Read Now