An 18-year-old college student accused of shooting his roommate at Western Illinois University is scheduled to appear for an extradition hearing Thursday after he turned himself in at a Chicago police station.
Kavion Poplous faces charges in connection with the shooting, which took place at the school on Tuesday night.
The university said Poplous turned himself in at a Chicago Police Department precinct and was taken into custody by the FBI around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. An arrest warrant was issued earlier in the day for Poplous on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, the school said.
According to WIU, the shooting happened just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday inside Thompson Hall at the school's Macomb campus.
Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between roommates at the school. A smoke alarm ultimately led students to evacuate the residence hall at the school, and classes were canceled on Wednesday after the shooting.
Information on the student shot, including his condition, was not immediately released, but authorities said during a press conference Wednesday morning the student underwent surgery.
"Our thoughts are with our student who remains hospitalized, and we pray for a speedy recovery," said WIU Interim President Martin Abraham during a press conference.
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In a family statement issued to NBC Chicago by community activist Darryl Smith, who has been in contact with the student’s family, Smith said Poplous' mother, “wants people to know that her son isn’t a monster; he was a godly child going to college trying to better his life.”
“I held him as being very courageous. It takes a lot of guts and courage to turn yourself in to authorities,” Smith said. “He walked himself in with his lawyer and his mom. He could have still be on the run, but that says a lot about this young man.”
