BATON ROUGE - Southern University made its first public comments on television since the shooting deaths of two students and the arrest of a former football player this weekend.

Freshman track athlete Annette January and sophomore trainer Lashuntae Benton were shot and killed at an off-campus housing complex near LSU Sunday morning. They were attending a party with other student-athletes when they were caught on crossfire. A third person was shot, wounded and survived.

Interim athletic director Roman Banks said they would never expected that to happen where they were.

“They were all there sharing together, what we thought was in a good place,” Banks said.

According to Banks, there were other student athletes and "most" of the track team at the scene during the shooting.

Banks said that students were upfront with police when questioned about what happened.

Police later arrested for 22-year-old Ernest Bernard Felton for the shooting injury of the surviving victim. Police said they could not immediately confirm whether or not bullets from the gun Felton is accused of using struck and killed the two 19-year-old women.

According to reports, Felton is a former Southern University football player, however Banks said that he did not know much about his status while he attended the university.

Click HERE to learn more about the shooting and the investigation.

Monday, Southern did not make staff available for interviews with WBRZ Chief Investigator Chris Nakamoto who is working one of multiple follow up stories for WBRZ newscasts. But, in an email after lunch, Southern said it will hold a brief news conference this afternoon.

"All coaches and student-athletes will not be made available to the media as we allow them ample time to grieve during this difficult time," Southern said in a statement.

Banks said that both families are strong, but he doesn't "really have the words to comfort them."

A vigil will be held on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Student Union.

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