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VIDEO: May 8th, 2007 candlelight vigil

Video by Joseph Hollak
Words by Benjamin Baxter

The same free speech area often privy to raucous argument, comically dour poetry readings and animal rights protest didn’t hear the crowd so much as whisper Wednesday night.
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Welty honored for Educational Excellence

John Welty, president of California State University, Fresno, was awarded the 2007 Harold Haak Award for Educational Excellence.

The award was presented at a Fresno Compact Business Education Awards luncheon in March.

Welty was recognized for building partnerships with education and businesses at local, regional and national levels.

Lot V parking notice

May 14th the north end of Lot V will be closed and the south end of Lot V will be opened for parking until May 21st.

Beginning May 21st Parking Lot V will be totally closed.

The closure of Lot V is necessary in order to complete the renovation of the lot surface and to build a covered parking structure with a solar Photovoltaic roof. This Fresno State partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions will cover 722 parking spaces on 5.5 acres in Parking Lot V.

Lot V will remain closed until further notice. The project is anticipated to be complete in August 2007.

If you have questions or concerns, please call Rod Gleghorn at (559) 278-4360.

Students gather for candlelight vigil

A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night in memory of former Fresno State student Brant Daniels, 19, who was killed in Monday night’s shooting at the University Village apartments.

You can view video of the vigil here.

Student held in shooting death

A 19-year-old Fresno State freshman was arrested late Tuesday morning and is being held on $3 million bail in connection with the deadly shooting of one former student and for wounding two other people at University Village.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said it’s believed the shooting was the result of a confrontation over a video game.

Dyer said, “It’s sad to say that all of this erupted over some type of dispute over a PlayStation.�?

Jonquel Brooks was arrested at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday near Peach and Olive avenues in southeast Fresno. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Dyer said, “He did express remorse for the shooting�? and at times appeared to be calm.

Dyer said officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting at approximately 11:15 p.m. Monday. They arrived at 11:18 p.m. to “mass pandemonium that was occurring�? at University Village, with people running and pointing in different directions.

The deceased victim was identified around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday as former Fresno State student Brant Daniels, 19, of Los Angeles.

Daniels was not enrolled as a student this semester but was enrolled last fall.

Narvin Barring, a sophomore health science major, said he was a friend of Daniels. Barring said he met Daniels at a basketball tournament and then again at the Student Recreation Center, where they often played basketball.

“We weren’t sure if it was him at first,�? Barring said. He said a friend contacted him around 8 a.m. and that he and his brother then called another friend to confirm the news. As of Tuesday morning, Barring said he was trying to contact friends of Daniels’ family.

Barring said Daniels was “just the kind of guy who would make you laugh all the time.�?

Dyer said the shooting was a single, isolated incident where the victims and the shooter knew each other.

Brooks and four other people were in Brooks’ apartment at University Village when the dispute erupted. Brooks took out a handgun and fired repeatedly in his apartment in the direction of the four people; some shooting may have carried over into the hallway.
Dyer added that it appeared Daniels ran into his apartment, collapsed and was later pronounced dead. The two who were wounded also lived in the complex and were found in other apartments.

The two victims who survived are Fresno State student Roderick Boycks, 19, and 22-year-old Drew Pfeiff, who is a pending student. Both sustained moderate, non-life threatening injuries and were released from the hospital Tuesday morning.

At approximately 4 a.m., a call from Brooks’ mother was made to Fresno police and three-way communication was established among Brooks, the police and Brooks’ mother “for the purpose of trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender,�? Dyer said.

Brooks agreed to turn himself in at 9 a.m. after negotiations with law enforcement but failed to do so.

Dyer said Brooks’ father drove from Hayward to Fresno and was in communication with law enforcement and Brooks. As part of the agreement with police, Brooks asked that his father be present at police headquarters when he was supposed to turn himself in.

At Tuesday’s 9:30 a.m. press conference with the Fresno Police Department, Dyer addressed the concern of Brooks’ not turning himself in at the negotiated time. He said if the suspect was listening to the conference, he would say, “I would tell Jonquel that he is in very serious trouble, that he is wanted for murder, as well as assault with a deadly weapon on two other individuals, that we take that very seriously. We know that he is armed and he is a threat to society, and that he needs to surrender as soon as he possibly can, whether that be with or without his attorney.�?

Earlier reports indicated that Brooks is a criminology major. However, according to criminology department chair Dr. Steven Walker, Brooks is an undeclared major who has never taken any criminology courses. Dyer said there was no record that Brooks had a criminal background.

At first, law enforcement had “strong indications�? that the shooter was in University Village and a lengthy search was conducted.

Dyer said the SWAT team investigated every room in the apartment complex, but after four and a half hours, police realized he may have escaped.

Dyer said in an attempt to avoid being recognized by law enforcement, Brooks “altered his appearance significantly�? by shaving his head and changing his clothes.

A voluntary evacuation from the complex occurred early Tuesday morning and not all of the residents were forced to leave.
University Village is a three-story complex consisting of 108 four-room pods.

“I want to thank the Fresno Police Department and the officers involved,�? Fresno State President John Welty said at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference held at Fresno Police headquarters. “I’m very grateful for the police department’s response.�?

Dyer said law enforcement had no indication that Brooks was ever at the university after the shooting and posed no threat to any student on campus.

Welty said he arrived at campus police headquarters around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, and added that the shooting suspect posed “no danger to individuals on campus,�? which was why the university made the decision to keep the campus open.

Barstow Avenue was closed at Cedar Avenue and opened up around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Another shooting occurred near the same location on the second day of classes in fall 2006 when a suspected bank robber opened fire while driving through the campus on Barstow Avenue. One officer was shot, but no students were injured by the gunfire.

Evacuated students taken to campus Atrium

Students reacted to Monday night’s shootings with sadness, confusion and a feeling of vulnerability.

Many found the tragedy hard to believe, especially as it comes on the heels of the Virginia Tech killings.

Freshman nutrition major Jennifer Smith said some of her sorority friends are residents of University Village and were evacuated to the Atrium. “I text messaged all my friends to see if they were OK,�? Smith said.

A resident of Homan Hall, Smith said she was awakened at 4 a.m. to someone from dorm management coming by her room to drop off a flyer mentioning the incident and warning against going toward the area of Cedar and Barstow avenues.

“I felt safe that they took care of us,�? Smith said.

Johanna Cuadros, a freshman living off campus, said she called her mom this morning and was told the shooter was still holed up at University Village. “So I felt safe to go around campus,�? Cuadros said. She said she was listening to AM 1040 for updates of the incident.

About 10 students were hanging around the Atrium lobby at 9:30 a.m., listening intently to TV news updates. Some of the students, still wrapped up in blankets provided by the university, were among the residents of University Village to be evacuated to the Atrium.

One resident of the complex, freshman Candace Epperson, lives just below the apartment where the shooting took place.

“I was just coming home from the hospital, and then this happened,�? Epperson said. She said she and roommate, sophomore LaVar Taylor, immediately knew what was going on and quickly locked the door.

“I saw flashing lights outside and heard voices, dogs. There was a lot of confusion,�? Epperson said. Epperson also said she didn’t see anything going on when told to leave the complex at 4 a.m. and go to the Atrium.

In spite of her experience, Epperson said she still felt safe on campus, especially when other people are around.

“I got no sleep last night,�? Taylor said. “I can’t wait for this to be over.�?

Sophomore Anisha Jamnidas said she also lives at the University Village, about four apartments away from where the shooting took place. Unlike many residents, Jamnadas didn’t leave during the night.

“They [SWAT team] gave us an option to stay, so we stayed,�? Jamnidas said, also speaking for her roommate, senior Adriana Rivera. Jamnidas said they locked the door and tried to pass the time with homework before leaving in the morning for the school day.

“I have my toothbrush and PJs in my backpack,�? Jamnidas said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now, or if I can return to the Village.�?

Jamnidas said her sense of security has been shaken, as this is her first year at Fresno State and first semester living at University Village.

“You’d think this is a pretty safe part of town,�? Jamnidas said. “It’s not a slummish area.�?

Jamnidas said she works at Starbucks, sometimes until 12:30 a.m., and has to park on the street and walk into her apartment due to a lack of parking.

“It’s really not safe, being alone and being a woman,�? Jamnidas said. She also said she plans to request not to work so late anymore.

Rivera said the SWAT team checked on them around 5:30 a.m. to see who was there and if they were OK, but she and her roommate decided against leaving when evacuation assistance was offered.

“I live in the comfort of my home,�? Jamnidas said. “When I don’t have that comfort, I cry.�?

Rivera said she and Jamnidas were surprised they were able to leave to go to classes today.

However, senior Song Vang, who had a class that went until 9:30 p.m., said although she always felt safe on campus at night, she may need to rethink her options in light of the shooting.

“I was worried going out here to the USU to study,�? Vang said.

Another student now on heightened alert is sophomore Gaby Mares. “Now you’re asking whether it’s safe to be anywhere,�? Mares said, also pointing to the recent Virginia Tech shootings.

Mares said she would definitely be more aware of her surroundings now. But she also said she wouldn’t change her daily routine or live out of fear.

“Tragic things happen, but we just need to move on,�? Mares said. “It’s better for classes to keep on continuing.�?

But sophomore Samuel Avina, Jr. disagreed.

“My first reaction was why didn’t they close down campus?�? Avina said. “The western part of campus should at least have been closed.

Avina, who commutes from Lemoore, said he decided to come to campus today anyway because of his classes.�?

Avina said he thought Fresno State was a moderately safe place to be, but said he was still suspicious of everyone. “I’m always looking over my shoulder.�?

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