Police are reportedly still seeking suspects in a shooting that took place Tuesday night near Navarro College as the victim recovers from his wounds, according to the Corsicana Daily Sun.

On the Navarro College Web site, the college explained that a student, Jeremiah Blair, was shot Tuesday evening during a robbery. The shooting reportedly took place at a popular apartment complex near the college, which then prompted a campus wide lockdown that lasted until early Wednesday morning.

Blair was taken by ambulance to Navarro Regional Hospital, then flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The Corsicana Daily Sun reported that Blair is still in the hospital, his injuries described by a hospital official as serious, but not life-threatening.

The Daily Sun reported that no clear motive for the crime has emerged, but that Blair apparently knew his shooter. Initially, four people were questioned about the shooting, but were subsequently let go by police.

Both local police and Navarro College administrators stressed that the shooting was an isolated, off-campus incident, and that students should not feel unsafe. Furthermore, the college emphasized the role that the WatchDog Alert System, a security measure that, once activated, sends “students, faculty, staff, and family members...text, e-mail and telephone messages alerting them to the potential threat” played in keeping the campus safe from harm.

In the posting, Donna Parish, director of marketing and public information for Navarro College, said that “Anytime we feel our students and staff are in danger, we will activate the system.”

“When something like this happens, time is of the essence, and we’d rather make certain we’re doing everything in our power to keep people safe than to hesitate. Right now we are asking everyone to keep Jeremiah Blair and his family in your thoughts and prayers. They are going through a very difficult situation and need our support.”

Additionally, a Navarro College sophomore, Aneisha Armstrong stressed in the post that, “I feel safer knowing we have the WatchDog System in place...I was outside...when I got the alert and then I went to my room and locked the door. I talked to my mom, and she said to follow the directions we were being given. When the all clear was issued, I went on to class.”

As of Thursday morning, police are still searching for suspects. Navarro College stated that they would update their site as soon as more information became available.

Our Take

At the very least, the Watchdog investment seems to have paid off. Good for the college for taking advantage of technology which allows students to receive breaking information in as quick a manner as possible. Though the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, students need to know of any dangerous events that happen on campus. There is not much more to say, other than to hope that Blair recovers swiftly from his injuries and that an arrest is made soon.