It was simple. It was empty. It was childish. And more importantly, the shooting that occurred Friday was devastating.
Everyone involved in the incident escaped unscathed, but the University’s image took a tremendous blow.
The shooting began with a meaningless exchange of words and a loaded threat that almost translated into tragedy. Had someone been shot or killed it would have taken years to reverse the negative attention. What’s more unfortunate is that only one of the four people arrested was a FAMU student.
Unfortunately, the scene in the middle of campus was an all too familiar one. It happens at clubs, parties and apartments all over Tallahassee. One person, eager to display his bravado, tests another who is bent on showing his will is stronger than the bluster being exchanged. Once the confrontation peaks, senseless bullets fly, and pain and sorrow soon trail.
There was a time when such an incident would have been settled with a fist fight and dismissed, but in a time where guns are accessible, and the willingness to use them is even more prominent.
It has to be said that the prompt response from the FAMU Police Department was excellent; the incident was contemptible. Guns were not needed. Neither were the words that caused the shots to be fired. The problem doesn’t lie with FAMU or gun laws. The issue is in a decaying society.
Akeem Anderson for the Editorial Board.