Photo via 11alive

 

By: Auzzy Byrdsell, MT Secretary 

 

On Monday, around 6:30pm, SGA President Mark Nichols stated on his Instagram story that one of his car’s tires had 14 punctured holes. He also claimed 92nd SGA President Elect, Mekhi Perrin and an unmanned victim who was allegedly on Perrin’s campaign team also had their tires vandalized. 

 

The post has since been removed from his story. 

 

The suspect of the vandalism is unknown. According to the Corporal of campus security, D. Allilock, nobody reported the vandalism leaving campus security oblivious to the matter. 

 

“The SGA president parks in B lot. If something happened on campus, he would’ve reported it. I know him very well,” Allilock said, referring to Nichols. 

 

Nichols was not available to speak to the Maroon Tiger directly. 

 

Perrin gave statements directly to MT reporter and arts and entertainment editor, Colin Royal. He said his car was parked near the LLC dorm. The closest parking lot to that dorm is B lot. 

 

The location of Nichol’s and the third victim’s vehicle during the vandalism is currently unknown. 

 

“I have received word from Student Services, but I have yet to have those full on conversations with campus police,” Perrin said. 

 

The vehicles have not been seen by campus security or the Maroon Tiger.  

 

On Instagram, Nichols said he found his vandalized car upon coming back to Atlanta from Cleveland for Moreohuse’s ‘Get On the Bus’ program. Nichols said he assumed he drove over a nail until he called to inform Perrin who responded saying his car and a third victim also had their tires flattened.

 

Perrin said he realized his car’s tires were damaged while driving on the highway and pulled over. He also claimed his tire had been punctured several times. 

 

There are no details on the third victim’s vandalism. 

 

Royal asked about Perrin’s response to being on the road in the midst of his realization. 

 

“The expectation may have been to puncture somebody’s tire. In the reality you don’t realize it becomes dangerous, it becomes harmful and in most serious cases death,” Perrin said. 

 

“Once I talked to Mark and he told me his tire was also punctured, I became quite concerned that this seems not so coincidental,” he said.  

 

“Having this happen to somebody that assisted me throughout the process and hearing that potentially a third person who assisted throughout the process had their tires slashed kind of seemed like this was all done intentionally,” he said.

 

Speculations of the vandalism began circulating just four days after the SGA run-off election results were announced. Nichols has been a mentor to Perrin as an upperclassman leader through Perrin’s Morehouse matriculation and presidential race.

 

“To whoever did this, you can slash tires but we’re still winning,” Nichols said on Instagram, suggesting the current SGA elections may have been a motive for the vandalisms. 

 

Perrin’s presidential victory was announced on March 30 after a run-off election between Perrin and William Murphy. 

 

On Monday, prior to Nichols’s post, at 12:41pm Murphy posted a paragraph on his story publicly stating he did not commit the vandalism. 

 

“I would never do anything to harm my brother physically, mentally, or monetarily,” he said.

Murphy gave a statement to the Maroon Tiger regarding the events.

 

According to Murphy, recent speculations suggest he or somebody from his campaign team committed the vandalism.

 

“I’m genuinely offended that people mentioned my name in this situation. I am passionate about Morehouse, and with that comes respect for what Morehouse stands for. This behavior is not what we stand for. It’s illegal and harms the integrity of our college,” Murphy said.

 

“A 10-second conversation with me would show I would never do anything like this. With that said, I hate that it happened, and I hope whoever did it is held accountable. I also wish my brother a prosperous year as the SGA President,” he said.

 

“It’s all hurtful because at the end of the day this is a brotherhood; this is Morehouse College. We should always lean on that brotherhood,” Perrin said. 

 

“There’s a love and a care that should be put first before anything else.” 

 

“I won’t allude to the name of the person who I believe did it or may be involved,” Nichols said on Instagram. 

 

This developing story will continue to be followed by the Maroon Tiger as more details are uncovered.