NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State University is mourning the loss of one of its own: 20-year-old Jahari George, a junior student from Maryland.
Someone shot and killed the engineering student late Saturday night, not far from the school's campus.
In a statement posted on NSU’s official Facebook page, a spokesperson for the university wrote: “The NSU family has suffered the loss of a fellow Spartan.”
The shooting happened on Gate House Road near Colchester Crescent, which is just down the street from NSU’s campus. Norfolk police department investigators say just before 11:30 p.m. officers found George badly hurt inside a car. Medics pronounced him dead at the hospital.
NSU junior, Carlos Tankard is Jahari George’s roommate. He said he and other classmates are still trying to wrap their heads around what happened.
“We were roommates my freshman and sophomore year," Tankard said. “Since freshman year, he has been one of my best friends, one of my closest friends.”
He described Jahari as a driven student with a passion for photography.
“He was a very creative person, a very strategic, a very intentional person," Tankard said. "He had a lot going for him.'
In a statement, a spokesperson for NSU’s Student Government Association called George “a beloved member” of NSU.
George pursued a degree in engineering and served as public relations chair for the Association.
Sophomore A’Lauren Gilchrist said people on campus are shaken by the loss.
“I know Jahari from Spartan Echo which is our student newspaper. He does a lot of photography and social media-type stuff," Gilchrist said. “Jahari is just very creative and very diligent. He took everything he did very seriously… He’s kind, he’s lighthearted.”
The association's statement went on to say: “The loss of such a promising young individual to senseless violence is a reminder of the urgent need for greater awareness, empathy, and action to address gun violence in our society.”
Tankard said he wants to see an end to the gun violence.
“I want there to be an initiative to actually make a change. You see stuff like this all the time. When it actually happens so close to you, you can feel it," Tankard. “I just hope this gives people the drive to actually make that change.”
The university is ramping up security in the wake of the shooting. Campus police have increased patrols on campus and at all off-campus hotel locations where students are staying. Access to the campus is also limited to two gates.
“He [Jahari George] was a familiar face to everyone," NSU Freshman Amiya Suber said. "It’s still kind of sad knowing that you’ve seen him around and now you don’t see him around. It’s new. It’s really sad.”
NSU Sophomore Nick Sims added: “Surprised and I only say that because of the fact that people will go to the extent of doing something like this.”
The university's statement said Norfolk Police have a person of interest in custody, but the police department has not confirmed that.
They also said counseling will be available to anyone impacted by Jahari George's death:
Counselors will be available in the Student Center Lobby at Noon. The center offers a safe and confidential environment for Spartans to discuss their feelings with experienced professionals. If support is needed, please contact the center at (757) 823-8173, and after-hours at (757) 823-9000 to speak with an on-call counselor. For immediate assistance, students, faculty and staff can access support through TimelyCare -https://bit.ly/3P2zhBp a virtual health and well-being app for students, on Apple or Android devices.
If you know anything about this homicide, you’re asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887 or submit a tip on the P3 tips app. You never have to give your name.