Man who was at Tuskegee University during mass shooting charged with possessing machine gun

A 20-year-old man who was at Tuskegee University during a mass shooting has been charged with illegal possession of a machine gun following a search of his Montgomery home.

Jeremiah Williams is charged with having a gun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a switch.

Federal charging documents show that Williams was at Tuskegee early Sunday morning during the shooting that killed one and injured 16 others.

Williams is not charged with any crime linked to the Tuskegee shooting, and records show the investigation into him began over the summer.

Witnesses said the first shots fired that night came from a white Dodge Charger, the same type of car Williams was reportedly driving that night, according to the complaint.

The shooting happened in Sunday’s predawn hours at West Commons on-campus apartments. Some of it was caught on social media videos.

The shooting came as Tuskegee’s 100th Homecoming Week was winding down. Its football team that Saturday had played Fairfield-based HBCU Miles College.

La’Tavion Johnson, whose family said the 18-year- old died saving someone else, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Lt. Jeremy Burkett said of the 16 injured, 12 of those were shot. They were taken to hospitals in Montgomery and Lee County.

According to Burkett, four others sustained injuries during the ensuing chaos.

ATF agents arrested Williams during a search of his home Thursday.

Special Agent Andrew Erdmann said Williams first came under investigation over the summer during intelligence gathering by the Metro Area Crime Suppression Detail in Montgomery.

That investigation included Facebook posts about switches and pictures of Williams holding an AR type rifle.

Investigator also linked Williams to another man whose home was searched and yielded multiple machine gun conversion devices. Messages between the two discussed profiting from the sale of switches.

Erdmann, one of dozens of investigators working on the Tuskegee University shooting, said in the criminal complaint that witnesses reported several vehicles doing “burnouts” in the parking lot before the shooting began Sunday.

One of the videos, the special agent said, showed a white Dodge Charger that began maneuvering through the West Commons parking lot but was hindered because of the large number of people and vehicles there.

“At least one witness recalled someone inside the Charger discharging a firearm in what appeared to be an attempt to clear a path for the vehicle to drive,’’ Erdmann wrote “after which several additional rounds of gunfire occurred.”

“Other witnesses recall observing a Black male exit the vehicle with a firearm in his hand at the time of the shooting,’’ the agent wrote.

The day after the shooting, Erdmann reviewed posts made to Williams’ Facebook page, some of which referred to a white Dodge Charger. “I need all the videos of me last night a white Charger,’’ Williams posted on Facebook Sunday.

He also posted several photos on social media of himself in a white Charger, and there were videos of the Charger doing “burnouts” at Tuskegee University.

“In one of the pictures, Jeremiah can be seen holding an AR type firearm in his hand,’’ the complaint states.

“In another video shared by Jeremiah on Nov. 10, 2024, what appears to be the same white Charger can be seen approaching a crowd as gunshots from several firearms can be heard.”

The text, “Thank god we was okay” accompanied the video, Erdmann wrote.

In an interview with investigations, Williams admitted to being at Tuskegee during the shooting, and said he was in his car when he began hearing shots fired. He said he and his friends briefly got out of the car, and later returned to Montgomery.

“Jeremiah denies discharging his firearm during the shooting,’’ the complaint states. “Jeremiah was told some witnesses at Tuskegee University said the first shots fired came from his vehicle. Jeremiah said he did not discharge his firearm.”

When asked who in the vehicle fired shots, Erdmann wrote, “Jeremiah asked how he could know because he was watching where he was driving.”

Williams is the second person arrested for being in possession of a switch following the Tuskegee University shooting.

Jacquez Myrick, 25, was taken into custody on campus early Sunday. He is charged with being in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device.

Myrick denied firing his weapon, but later told federal investigators he did fire his gun but did not shoot anyone, according to federal court records.