Texas Southern University shooting: Police identify student victim as Brent Randall

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Saturday, October 10, 2015
TSU student victim identified
The victim in the TSU shooting was identified by police today. Christine Dobbyn reports.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An 18-year-old freshman college student is dead and another person is injured after a shooting at Texas Southern University Friday. Houston police have identified the victim who died as Brent Randall.

Houston police say they continue to question two suspects now in custody. Investigators are looking for a third person, described as a black male, 22-to-25 years old, 6-feet tall, 180-190 pounds. Police say he has dreadlocks and wore a black shirt and black pants the day of the shooting.

PHOTOS: Shooting at Texas Southern University

Investigators say an argument of some sort led three men to shoot two others. The two were shot in the 3500 block of Blodgett Street at Tierwester around 11:30am. The shooting happened at the Tierwester Oaks section of the University Courtyard apartment complex.

"I see them putting the body on the gurney and putting them in the ambulance," said Antonia Williams, one of many students who were near the shooting that happened at an TSU-owned apartment complex on campus property.

TSU students tweeted in the moments after the shooting:

"We went outside to go see them and one person didn't wake up. The other person was talking to the police," said Nate Sweets, a student who was in his room at Tierwester Oaks when he heard the gunfire. "I came to school to get an education and learn. I didn't know it's a bad environment."

Texas Southern University President John M. Rudley spent several hours at the scene of the shooting Friday. He was obviously frustrated by the repeated shootings that have occurred at the university since the fall semester began.

Rudley said one student was shot to death in the same complex at the beginning of the semester. There was also another shooting early Friday morning. Then the deadly shooting a few hours later. Police are currently looking to see if the shootings Friday are related.

"Too many guns are accessible to students and to people in general in our community," said Dr. Rudley. "I talk to students and they say guns can be bought for $1-300 dollars. Everyone can get one."

Students we talked with also voiced their concern that they could be innocent victims in the future.

"It's scary," said student Jasmine Williams. "It is because you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, because a bullet doesn't have a name on it."

The third suspect is described as a black male, 22-to-25 years old, 6-foot, 180-190 pounds, has dreadlocks and was seen wearing a black shirt and black pants.

Earlier this week, one person was injured while on the "Tiger Walk." TSU Police are still looking for that suspect, identified is Darios Tramain Crayton Scott, 19.

And back on August 27, a man and woman were both injured when a man opened fire in the parking lot of the same apartment complex as Friday's shooting. Darrius Nichols, 20, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in that case.