A University of Alabama official confirms that a man who killed three law enforcement officers this past weekend was a student at the Tuscaloosa Campus.
UA Spokesman Chris Bryant says Baton Rouge gunman Gavin Eugene Long attended the University of Alabama for one semester in the spring of 2012.
The 29-year-old Long was a former Marine from Kansas City, Missouri. He opened fire killing three police officers and wounded three others. Long was killed at the scene.
The shooting added to the tensions across the country between the black community and police. Long was also enrolled at Clark Atlanta University after the only semester in Tuscaloosa.
Residents in south Alabama dealing with mental health issues will have a chance to discuss their problems with state health officials today. The Alabama Department of Mental Health is hosting a town hall in Andalusia’s City Hall auditorium.
State Department of Mental Health Commissioner Jim Perdue says that over the years, he has seen huge turnout from people suffering from mental health and it draws a diverse crowd.
“We’ve had many legislators, House and Senate members that come, parents of children with autism, doctors, psychiatrists… Metal health reaches a broad range of individuals and, therefore, many of these people come.”
This is the latest town hall meeting in the department’s effort to better understand local area needs in regards to mental health.
Alabama’s 11th annual alligator hunt is coming up next month.
Those selected to participate have until 8am tomorrow morning to confirm or decline their tag. Alternates will be notified to fill any vacancies after the deadline. 260 tags have been issued for this year’s hunt which kicks off August 11th.
Chris Nix is a Wildlife Biologist at Alabama Division of Wildlife. He says those receiving a tag should become familiar with their designated hunting zone.
“Get as familiar with the area that you’re going to be hunting as possible. Go out not necessarily to scout the area at night and scout for alligators, but going during the daytime and become familiar with the areas of where you can get to and where you cannot get to safely in your boat. But make sure you do that during the daytime.”
Hunters receiving a tag must attend a mandatory zone-specific alligator training course. Training is provided by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.