3 high school graduations across the U.S. finish with gunfire in lower than 24 hours

Three highschool commencement ceremonies ended with pictures fired in separate incidents in Louisiana, Michigan and Tennessee inside the span of 24 hours, another sobering instance of gun violence impacting everyday lives, including that of teenage college students.

After college students crossed levels to receive their diplomas, chaos ensued with gunfire.

At the very least one person was killed and seven others injured in collective shootings that resulted within the arrest of a 17-year-old gunman in Tennessee.

Photographs have been fired Thursday night around 8:15 p.m as graduates of Hammond Excessive College were leaving their ceremony held on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University to fulfill with their families, police stated.

4 folks have been injured within the gunfire, all with non-life-threatening accidents, Hammond PD Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr mentioned in a Thursday night time news conference. Three had been transported to an space hospital.

A suspect was located after a short foot pursuit and taken into custody, Southeastern Louisiana University Police Chief Michael Beckner informed NBC Information Friday morning.

Charges are pending as the probe continues and all events involved have been adults, Beckner stated.

Police stated Thursday no Hammond Excessive Faculty college students are believed to be involved in the taking pictures. 

“Presently we do not believe that there were any students involved, we do not consider any juveniles had been struck on this incident,” Bergeron mentioned.

Police are asking for witnesses, or folks with video footage of taking pictures to return forward. 

There were Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies on website working safety for the commencement who responded to the capturing and the “scenario was taken underneath management in a short time," officials said.

Tangipahoa Parish Superintendent of Faculties, Melissa Martin Stilley, said Thursday, "We apologize to our families and to our college students that this evening, which should have been a very completely satisfied occasion for our graduates and their households, ended on such a tragic observe."

Hammond High Faculty students may have a virtual school day Friday, though college will go into to highschool, she stated.

A capturing erupted on the East Kentwood Excessive College campus exterior the football stadium in Michigan on Thursday during a graduation ceremony for Crossroads Various High College at round 7:20 p.m., injuring two, the Kent County Sheriff’s Workplace stated in a statement.

Two deputies have been on site working safety for the ceremony, however by the point deputies acquired to the car parking zone on foot, “the suspect vehicles had fled.” 

Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young mentioned in a Thursday night news conference that people in two vehicles have been exchanging gunshots.

She said “a lot of shots” had been fired on the scene.

The sheriff's workplace mentioned two victims within the shooting were later situated at area hospitals: a 16-year-old from Texas who was shot within the wrist and is in steady situation and a 40-year-old lady from Grand Rapids who was shot within the wrist and abdomen in critical however secure situation. 

It's not clear if the victims had been related to the graduation.

The sheriff’s workplace believes there were more than two people opened hearth. Preliminary reviews point out two white sedans with multiple individuals inside fled the scene at a high price of pace, officials said.

Authorities are additionally asking for witnesses or individuals with video or picture footage of the incident to submit tips. 

A 17-year-old was arrested in a deadly shooting after a graduation ceremony for Riverdale High College held on the Middle Tennessee State College campus shortly earlier than 9 p.m. Wednesday as the group was leaving. 

Hasani Brewer, 18, was killed and a 17-year-old high school scholar wounded, police mentioned. Brewer and the teenager who was shot had gotten into a fight when a third particular person opened fire, police spokesperson Larry Flowers mentioned at a news conference.

The suspect, who is also 17, was not recognized because of his age. He will be arraigned in juvenile court docket on a first-degree homicide charge, Flowers said.

Brewer was a previous graduate of the highschool, and the wounded teenager is a junior, he said.

“The graduation was simply ending, people had been leaving, this combat started — so simply imagine the chaos when pictures rang out,” Flowers said.

Marlene Lenthang is a breaking information reporter for NBC News Digital.