Professor opens fire over tenure
Published 12:29 pm Saturday, February 13, 2010
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say an Alabama biology professor accused of fatally shooting three colleagues at a faculty meeting was captured only minutes after the gunfire, sparing further bloodshed.
Police said a 9 mm gun was found in a restroom in the science building on the University of Alabama’s Huntsville campus, where the shootings occurred Friday afternoon. They said the suspect, Amy Bishop, was charged with one count of capital murder but that other charges are likely.
At a news conference Saturday, authorities declined to comment on a possible motive. Family members of victims say they understood that the shooting involved Bishop’s tenure.
University spokesman Ray Garner said that Bishop was up for tenure, but that the faculty meeting was not called to specifically discuss tenure.