A Morehouse College student who was shot in the arm following a pick-up basketball game at the school’s Archer Hall in 2013 has filed suit against the college, claiming that Morehouse failed to properly secure the area despite prior shootings and robberies that happened on campus.
Cornelius Savage, who was 22 at the time of the Feb. 1, 2013, incident, was shot by 19-year-old Amir Obafemi, a student at neighboring Clark Atlanta University. Both Clark Atlanta and Morehouse are part of the Atlanta University Center.
The shooting, which police said happened after an argument over who was going to play basketball next, occurred outside Archer Hall as the building was being cleared for another event.
In the suit, filed Friday in Fulton County Superior Court, Savage’s attorney, Sharon D. Smith-Knox, claimed that Morehouse, “despite having clear and obvious knowledge of the need to improve security… inexplicably failed to take the necessary actions to properly secure its campus.”
The suit claims that Savage’s medical bills have exceeded $110,000 and that he “continues to suffer from permanent impairment of his left hand, fingers and forearm.” He asks that he be awarded unspecified monetary damages “including, but not limited to pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, anxiety, past and future medical expenses, bodily impairment and any other damages resultant from the severe injuries he suffered.”
Obafemi was convicted of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and is currently serving a 10-year sentence at the Decatur County Correctional Institute, according to Georgia Department of Corrections records.
Elise Durham, spokeswoman for Morehouse, issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the suit:
“The shooting incident involving Cornelius Savage in February 2013 is unfortunate. The college continues to take very seriously the public safety of all of our students, faculty, staff and guests. This particular case was an isolated incident and the college is prepared to respond to the allegations as appropriate.”
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