Following mass shooting near Jacksonville HBCU, Bethune-Cookman official urges alertness

The racially motivated murders of three Black people at a Jacksonville Dollar General store Saturday might have become a violent tragedy at nearby Edward Waters University if not for alert students and a police officer dubbed a "hero."

That was not lost on officials at another historically Black university 96 miles to the south in Daytona Beach.

William Berry, acting president and provost at Bethune-Cookman University, issued a statement on Monday reminding the campus community of the need to take safety seriously.

"As a university, we condemn the hateful and harmful act that was committed in such close proximity to Edward Waters University, a fellow HBCU," Berry's message reads. "We applaud the campus security staff who refused the shooter entry to campus for their bravery and commitment to keeping the students, faculty and staff safe."

With classes having started just one week ago, Berry said security at the B-CU campus is "our No. 1 priority," and he reminded students and staff to report any concerns or suspicious activity to the Department of Campus Safety.

"To our students living in residence halls: Please make sure that doors are closed and always locked. Remember: No one is permitted to prop open a door for convenience of access," Berry's message reads.

EWU president thankful for 'a God thing'

At Edward Waters Monday, campus President Zachary Faison Jr. praised the actions of students who first spotted an individual pull into a faculty/staff parking space and began putting on gloves and a tactical vest. They informed Lt. Antonio Bailey, a campus police officer on patrol, who approached the suspect on foot, coming to within 10-15 feet.

“The individual immediately fled the university parking lot in his vehicle at a very high rate of speed, jumping the curb and nearly hitting a nearby brick column in the parking lot," Faison said. Bailey gave a brief chase around a campus block in an attempt to identify him or get his license plate number.

Bailey gave information to a Jacksonville sheriff's deputy, Faison said.

"We of course now know that individual motivated by racism just within a span of a few minutes later went on a cold-blooded mass shooting spree, taking the lives of three members of our Newtown community," Faison said.

The president said he mourns with the community the loss of the three individuals, but called the sparing of lives at EWU "a God thing," calling Bailey a "hero."

Bailey pointed to students as the heroes.

"We preach, ‘If you see something, say something.’ And they did just that,” Bailey said. “For you to have on a tactical vest, gloves and a mask, the question is raised: ‘What are you doing here?’"

So he said he sprang into action and let his training guide him.

HBCUs targeted in past

In 2022, both Edward Waters and Bethune-Cookman were among HBCUs targeted for potential hate crimes when a series of bomb threats were called in to the campuses in January 2022.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said at the time that an early-morning call from someone identifying himself as a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division said there were duffel bags containing C-4 explosives hidden at B-CU and that a gunman would open fire at campus around lunchtime that day. No explosives were found.

The FBI investigated and announced two days later that it had identified six juvenile suspects who had used spoofing phone numbers and other sophisticated methods to disguise the source of the threats, according to a Department of Homeland Security news release. No one has been arrested.

Racially Motivated Threats: FBI: Threats against HBCUs, including Bethune-Cookman, investigated 'as highest priority'

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: B-CU commends HBCU police officer who refused entry to mass shooter