Man wounded in shooting at Tennessee State University

Victim is a former student who was in a parking lot near a residence hall.

A 19-year-old man has been shot and critically injured on the campus of Tennessee State University campus in Nashville.

WSMV-TV reports that the shooting happened just after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Boyd Hall, a residence hall.

The victim, identified by police as Larry Bates, was shot in the chest. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was in critical condition.

Metro Nashville Police say that Bates was talking to someone who was inside a car in the parking lot when shots were fired.

It is not clear why Bates, who is from the Chicago area, was on the campus. He is not enrolled at the university, but did take classes at Tennessee State in spring 2017.

Police say the campus is not believed to be in imminent danger because the gunman left the scene immediately after the shooting.

The campus is back to business as usual after what university officials are calling a "random act of violence," according to Kelli Sharpe, associate vice president of communications.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

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