Samuel Harris pleads guilty to 2024 campus shooting of Ex-girlfriend

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County judge has sentenced Samuel El Harris to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to the May 2024 murder of Alasia J. Franklin, a 21-year-old nursing student at Kennesaw State University.

The sentencing brings closure to a case that deeply impacted the KSU campus and the south Georgia community of Cairo, where both Franklin and Harris were raised.

The shooting happened on the afternoon of May 18, 2024, outside the Austin Residence Complex on KSU’s campus. Authorities said Harris, who was not enrolled at the university, shot Franklin following an argument. The two had previously been in a relationship.

Investigators said Harris, 22, fired 11 shots at Franklin near the entrance of the residence hall before driving away in her vehicle. Officers located him about 10 miles from campus near an apartment complex in Marietta. Ballistics testing later confirmed that a 9mm Glock handgun recovered from Harris was used in the killing.

Harris pleaded guilty to malice murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm in a school zone, and tampering with evidence.

During the sentencing hearing, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office reflected on Franklin’s life and aspirations.

“She was a nursing student who aspired to be a nurse practitioner,” prosecutors said. “She tried to see the good in everyone and make them better. Harris, who was not a student, benefited from her love and generous traits, but he ultimately took her away from this world.”