Alasia Franklin: Kennesaw State Student Shot Dead on Campus
Alasia Franklin was an outgoing student who wanted to become a nurse.
“She was very determined. Her purpose was to speak up for people who were afraid to speak up for themselves,” said Anthony Harrison, a fellow student and friend of hers who worked alongside her in student government.
Anthony, a senior who serves as KSU’s Vice President of the Student Government Association, said he woke up on Saturday, May 18, 2024, to the horrible sounds of gunshots at the Austin Residence Complex on campus.
"And all I can remember is just walking out and being completely horrified of what that scene was," he told Atlanta TV station FOX 5.
He discovered that his friend, Alasia Franklin, had been shot. He called 911.
"I couldn't even … I couldn't even recognize the way she looked," Anthony said, sobbing to a reporter. "I couldn't recognize the way she looked, man. I stood right over her as I was on the phone. Like, that's something that's going to be with me for a long, long, long time."
University officials and police still are putting together the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but a suspect – 21-year-old Samuel Harris – has been arrested. He is charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to Cobb County jail information.
Anthony said he still remembers when he first met Alasia.
"I interviewed her and, I mean, from the moment that we hopped on the Zoom call and talked, I mean, she had a bright and amazing personality," he was quoted as saying.
Alasia quickly asserted herself as a force on campus. She was a part of KSU's chapter of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and founded the school's Integrated Health Science Club.
"She was super involved on campus, and I know that everybody that knew her knew that she was just such a positive and outgoing person," Anthony said. "She was just very passionate and driven all around, but it just … it just hurts to see her in the state that she was in. I mean, it's just a lot."
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” KSU President Kathy S. Schwaig said in a statement.
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