Campus Alert Archive
FVSU

Homecoming Block Party Shooting Kills One and Wounds Seven Two Blocks From Fort Valley State Campus

GAshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In the early morning hours of October 23, 2021, a shooting at an off-campus homecoming block party at 603 Carver Drive killed one person and wounded seven others. The incident, about two blocks from the Fort Valley State University campus, prompted a campus lockdown and cancellation of homecoming events.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
7
Institution
Fort Valley State University
Hbcu · GA
~3,000 studentsWildcat Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction166 chars
FVSU EMERGENCY ALERT: Shooting reported near campus on Carver Drive. Campus is on lockdown. All students should shelter in place and remain in their current location.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports that the campus was placed on lockdown after the shooting
The shooting occurred at approximately 3:00 AM EDT at an off-campus block party about two blocks from campus
Campus police determined there was no active threat to the campus before lifting the lockdown
ALL CLEARmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction241 chars
FVSU UPDATE: The campus lockdown has been lifted. The alumni breakfast and homecoming parade scheduled for this morning have been canceled. The homecoming football game will proceed with increased security. Counseling services are available.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from FVSU's official campus update and multiple news sources
The university canceled two morning events but kept the football game with enhanced security
The GBI was called in to lead the investigation
Context

Background

In the early morning hours of October 23, 2021, a shooting at an off-campus homecoming block party at 603 Carver Drive, approximately two blocks from the Fort Valley State University campus, killed one person and wounded seven others. The victim, 27-year-old Tyler French of Byron, Georgia, was not an FVSU student. The party was not a university-sanctioned event. Fort Valley State placed the campus on lockdown and canceled the alumni breakfast and homecoming parade scheduled for Saturday morning, though the homecoming football game proceeded with increased security. Students described the chaotic scene, with one freshman telling 13WMAZ they did not sleep the night after the shooting. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to lead the investigation. The incident was part of a broader pattern of violence at HBCU homecoming events in the fall of 2021, which included shootings at Grambling State University the same month.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooting occurred at a non-university-sanctioned off-campus party, yet required a full campus lockdown and disrupted homecoming events
The university made a calculated decision to cancel morning events while proceeding with the football game under enhanced security
This was one of several shootings at HBCU homecoming events during October 2021
Outcome
Tyler French, 27, of Byron, Georgia, was killed. He was not an FVSU student. Seven others were wounded, including FVSU students with non-life-threatening injuries. The GBI investigated the case.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    One dead, 7 wounded in shooting near Fort Valley State University (NBC News)
    nbcnews.com
  2. Official
    Campus Update: Homecoming News (FVSU)
    fvsu.edu
  3. News
    FVSU freshmen describe scene of deadly block party shooting (13WMAZ)
    13wmaz.com
  4. News
    1 dead, 7 wounded at homecoming block party near FVSU (WSB-TV)
    wsbtv.com
Tags
shootinghbcuhomecomingoff-campusgeorgianon-student-involvedmass-shooting
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion