Georgia student shot and killed by ‘armed intruder’ on college campus
Samuel Harris, who is not a student at the school, is charged with murder
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An armed intruder shot and killed a female student on a college campus in Georgia on Saturday, plunging the university into a temporary lockdown.
The incident unfolded at around 4pm on Saturday when Kennesaw State University said that a “dispute” broke out in front of the Austin Residence Complex on the Kennsaw Campus of Kennesaw State University.
The suspect, identified as Samuel Harris, shot and killed Alasia Franklin, 21, and then fled the scene, KSU Emergency Management said.
A shelter in place was ordered at the college campus while law enforcement searched for the suspect.
By 4.43pm the suspect was in custody and the order had been lifted.
Mr Harris, who is not a student at the school, has been charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, aggravated assault and murder, according to police records.
Franklin was a junior at the school and was also a member of KSU’s Student Government Association, Fox5 reported.
It is not clear if the victim and suspect knew each other prior to the shooting.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” school president Kathy Schwaig said in a statement.
The college is now offering counselling for those impacted by the tragedy.
In January, KSU was plunged into another lockdown when three suspects robbed an Uber driver’s car and drove it onto the campus.
This also marks the second killing of a student on a college campus on Georgia this year.
Laken Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, was murdered when she went for a run around the University of Georgia campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested and charged with her murder.