An early morning shooting Oct. 25 at Grambling State University, La. – that left two men dead, one of whom was a student at the school – has prompted a call for prayer from Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins.
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Grambling State BCM Facebook photo Members of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Grambling State University pray on campus during See You At The Pole in 2016. Louisiana Baptists are encouraged to pray for the school, which experienced a deadly shooting early Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017. |
“The brokenness of our world sadly continues to be on display, as we learned from the shooting on the Grambling campus,” Hankins told the Baptist Message. “Our hearts are grieved for the families of the victims.
“I ask all Louisiana Baptists to pray for comfort and for wisdom for our campus [Baptist Collegiate Ministries] director, Roy Brown, and area churches as they minister to the Grambling community in the days ahead,” Hankins said. “I also ask you to join me in praying for God’s hand of restraint on the evil that has reared its head again. We’re reminded in God’s word to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.”
According to a news release from Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office media relations, shortly after midnight the sheriff’s office was called to assist Grambling State police in reference to a shooting on campus.
Two male victims, Earl Andrews and Monquiarious Caldwell, both of Farmerville, were later pronounced dead at the scene from apparent gunshot wounds. Andrews was a senior at the school, Grambling State spokesman Will Sutton told KTBS-TV in Shreveport.
The unidentified suspect fled the scene but remained at large Wednesday morning. Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone in a statement urged anyone with information about the incident to call 318-251-1111. Ruston/Lincoln Parish Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
“This tragic incident appears to have occurred between persons that knew each other, to some extent at least,” Stone said. “There are no indicators that this incident bears any resemblance to any of the random acts of violence or domestic terrorism that have been experienced around our country in recent weeks.”
Grambling State posted on its Facebook page that its offices are open and all students are expected to attend classes.
KTBS added that a prayer vigil is scheduled on campus for 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“This is a horrible tragedy. Nothing that anybody would’ve ever wanted to have happened,” Sutton told KTBS. “Our prayers are with the victims and their families. There’s no place for violence on Grambling State University campus. We always encourage our students to be safe, to be aware, watch who they hang out with, and watch who’s around at all times. This is a most unfortunate situation.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE – This story was first published by staff with the Baptist Message, baptistmessage.com, news journal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.)