LAPD detains two in campus shooting
Posted November 1, 2012 at 5:40 am in Crime, Featured, Halloween Shooting, News
The Los Angeles Police Department has detained two suspects following a shooting that injured four people near the Ronald Tutor Campus Center at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to campus authorities.
Joseph Chen | Daily Trojan
Only one of the four victims is in critical condition and as of approximately 2 a.m. was undergoing surgery at California Hospital Medical Center, according to LAPD. Three others were injured and immediately transported to California Hospital as well. Neither the suspects, whom LAPD identified as approximately 19-years-old, nor the victims were affiliated with USC.Classes across the university are scheduled to continue as normal Thursday.
The shooting occurred about 100 yards from a Halloween costume party, “Freak or Greek,” which was held in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center’s ballroom. The event, which began at 9 p.m., was hosted by a USC student organization and LA Hype, a night life and entertainment group. The party drew a crowd of about 1,500, according to the Dept. of Public Safety.
“We were waiting outside to get into the party, and we were waiting for a while — maybe 20 or 30 minutes,” said Olivia Gordon, a freshman majoring in psychology. “And all of the sudden, as soon as people started going inside, there were multiple gunshots and everyone who was in line for the party ducked and we all ran.”
A confrontation occurred between two unidentified males, which led one to shoot the other, inadvertently injuring three others in the process, according to DPS Capt. David Carlisle. The intended victim was shot three to four times in the torso, according to LAPD Cmdr. Bob Green. The other three victims did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
“I heard three gunshots … there might have been more than that,” said Christina Nour, a freshman majoring in civil engineering building science. “Then I ducked. It didn’t feel real. It felt like it was a movie because I really haven’t experienced anything like this before. I was running as fast as I can, trying to make sure I didn’t get trampled or tripped. I just ran as fast as I could, as far as I could.”
Michael Jackson, vice president for student affairs, released a statement on the university’s website, saying DPS had been monitoring the area near the party. He also noted the importance of ensuring safety.
“This incident reminds us that we must look out for ourselves and be particularly vigilant about the personal safety of friends and guests at our social events,” Jackson said.
After the shooting, officers at the scene identified the shooter as well as an unidentified male who was fleeing the scene with him. Officers followed the two to Parking Lot 6 and detained them; they also retrieved the handgun used in the shooting from the ground at the lot.
DPS issued a Trojan Alert at 12:02 a.m. on Thursday, asking students to take “shelter in place and avoid opening doors for unknown persons.” DPS and LAPD also immediately cordoned off the area near the shooting, including from Bovard Auditorium to Mudd Hall and from the Campus Center to the eastern edge of Hahn Plaza. The entire University Park Campus was locked down soon after.
Despite the lockdown, LAPD said the event in the Campus Center continued even as the shooting and its aftermath unfolded outside.
“Music continued to play, and they continued to party,” Green said.
At approximately 2 a.m., DPS and LAPD opened the campus to students, faculty and staff with USC identification. The entire campus was reopened at 4:52 a.m.
Assistant DPS Chief John Thomas said that the incident was not indicative of the overall level of safety in and around USC.
“[USC has] a great partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department. We are one of the safest campuses in the country — we make sure that we have the necessary resources at the event, we do necessary planning and unfortunately [the shooting] happened outside,” he said. “These are individuals that unfortunately came here and decided to disrupt what otherwise would have been a very peaceful event, like all of our events on campus.”
Also in the Daily Trojan:
Tags
This article is tagged: campus center, david carlisle, DPS, LAPD, shooting, trojans alert, USC
Loading ...
. Three unrelated shooting incidents within 7 months is staggering–all of which involved students because they were present even when not the victims. The two murders last year were outside the so called safe zone but this was at the very heart of it. This is completely unacceptable. The university needs to focus its undivided attention on safety first as the rest is secondary. And this includes year round safety as the students are required by landlords to take yearlong leases not school year leases. People won’t send their kids here if USC doesn’t make it safe. We wont keep our children there if this isn’t stopped. Keep non students, staff and faculty off campus and out of any USC group sponsored events and increase the police presence in the safe zone dramatically. NOW
Don’t forget about the armed robbery on the Row last year a week or two after the double homicide.
I completely and totally agree. This is both shocking and disgusting because the university is talking out of both sides of its mouth. On the one hand, gosh we’re so wonderful and increasing our academic rise and we’re one of the world’s elite universities and blah blah blah and on the other hand, we have shootings, crime, and athletic scandals.
COME ON, USC. Exactly how much are you charging each year now? $60,000 a year? Do you have any idea whatsoever how many middle class families don’t even consider your school now?
Give me a break. Fix the stupid safety on campus already and have Haden clean up the athletic program. Those of us who came to USC over other more highly ranked schools are sick and tired of having to defend our decisions. See comments below about kids who chose USC over Ivies.
With all that extra tuition money coming in – from full-pay kids and federal loans – you’d figure the least that they could do was ensure a safe campus.
All Universities in the nation can’t stop non-students from coming onto the campus; if not because of USC safeties (individuals with no USC id are not allowing inside) the shooting would have happened inside the venue/tutor center building. I understand how you feel, my daughter is a sophomore at USC, I was scared and worried when I heard about the shooting but I wasn’t upset at USC. Like they said “These are individuals that unfortunately came here and decided to disrupt…” Just thank God that SC students were safe.
@Talysa:
Yes, anyone can go to any college campus with a gun and do something stupid.
But have you no concern about the terrible campus policy? Why in the world would USC allow a third party promoter to come to the heart of campus on HALLOWEEN night and host a party that is bound to attract this kind of crowd?
Start by firing the student affairs dean or executive who allowed this to happen.
And I am sure that we all knew how badly the surrounding area around USC but we still sent our kids there. So we just have to believe the school and pray for our kids to be safe.
I’m never had a problem in my four years. But I’m awesome.
[...] Shooting: Two suspects in custody, four people wounded at campus …CBS NewsOCRegister -Daily Trojan Online -Gant Dailyall 570 news articles » Filed Under: Google News Top Stories Tagged [...]
This shows again kind of events that Program Board puts on. Events that as students we pay for but that in the end are attended by outsiders. Clearly the Geragos kid needs to fire the BSA person that was in charge and the PB director, Juan something.
You’re a dumbass
You’re ignorant and clearly have no idea or don’t read articles. This is the first time a student organization has had an issue like this so your comment on “This shows again the kind of events that program board puts on” has absolutely NO validity. Maybe you should look at the larger picture and turn your negative views on the campus security you are paying for rather than the people who sponsored the event and paid for security.
I don’t think he was referring to a lack of safety at PB events, but rather that students pay for PB events with the Activities fee in all of our tuitions, and these events are then in turn attended by large numbers of non-students for free or at reduced cost. This unfortunately poses a security risk as non-students in this part of LA are significantly more likely to instigate this kind of incident then a students are.
BSA HAD NO RELATION TO THIS EVENT. THE BSA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS DOING A PERFECTLY FINE JOB.
Why did the BSA scrub the website event calender?
Please Google “SC Hype” and watch Youtube video “LA Hype Presents SC Hype” for a little idea of how a previous event on campus went. Turn the sound down if you are easily offended because the lyrics are sick!
[...] Shooting: Two suspects in custody, four people wounded at campus …CBS NewsKFMB News 8 -Daily Trojan Online -CNNall 557 news [...]
Completely appalled by the comment referring to the event as a “ghetto nightclub”!
USC is an open campus in the middle if LA – students do need to be reminded, constantly, to be aware of their surroundings. I was on campus during the LA Riots and the University did an excellent job securing the campus.
Punks with guns shooting each other in the middle of the campus should offend you a heckuva lot more than someone’s description.
Another shooting at USC, and the sun rises in the east. Some things don’t change.
Meanwhile, commenters like you are “appalled” when race is mentioned, since the media omits it, going so far as to cover up the name of the “student organization”, as if we couldn’t figure it out.
Like it or not, violent crime is dramatically higher in cities with “majority minority” populations. That’s not opinion, its DOJ statistics, which don’t change, year over year, except that they’re getting worse under the current administration
You won’t solve the problem by pretending it doesn’t exist.
USC needs to fund for more campus security
And the protection of our students, faculty and staff. Due to its immense openness it’s hard to keep people off campus who don’t belong- I used to walk through campus going to/from work – home. However , for all campus events SECURITY is obvious.
Having been a student, I know this IS the level of security on the campus. Student safety means nothing to the administrators, and they only act if they are forced to. It’s pretty telling when a statement issued by the president basicly says “This is ok because the victim and shooter weren’t USC students. It’s important you watch out for yourselves.” That’s been the attitude every time there is violence: everything is fine, and all students need to do to be safe is look around every so often. Sorry, but the continual robberies, rapes, and murders that occur here tell me otherwise.
Administrators need to start making REAL efforts to protect the students, not just tell them they’re on their own. It’s not like the campus doesn’t have the money. Seriously, in the years I was on campus, the only thing DPS ever did was harrass students on bikes and direct traffic. Oh, and of course ride around on segways. It’s a matter of a very bad attitude and incredibly poor priorities.
Exactly right.
Read the crime reports. Do the math. USC is the most dangerous campus I’ve ever been to. And the amount of security is barely enough to get the job done, and totally inadequate off campus.
This is the second shooting this year. Does that sound safe?
[...] Party Shooting Leaves Four Injured, Two ArrestedMyFox Los AngelesFox News -Gant Daily -Daily Trojan Onlineall 539 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes [...]
It makes no sense that USC would permit an outside promoter to sponsor a party like this on Halloween. Especially at the Tutor Center. If I were a member of Ronald Tutor’s family I would immediately demands that whoever allowed this to happen be fired. This is no different, and just as absurd, as USC tolerating raves taking place at the coliseum. And we all know where that ended up.
USC administrators: the extra $$$ which you get from these events is not really needed and is not worth the loss of esteem and repute this university has spent the past decade winning year after year.
[...] …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsOCRegister -Daily Trojan Online -CNNall 525 news articles » Kleding outlet This entry was posted in [...]
[...] wounded at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -CNN -Huffington Postall 525 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please [...]
[...] Shooting Leaves Four InjuredABC News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -KMGH Denver -NBC Montanaall 524 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please [...]
[...] at campus …CBS NewsUSC Halloween Party Shooting Leaves Four InjuredABC NewsFox News -Daily Trojan Online -CNN (blog)all 520 news [...]
[...] at campus …CBS NewsUSC Halloween Party Shooting Leaves Four InjuredABC NewsFox News -Daily Trojan Online -CNN (blog)all 520 news articles » This entry was posted in Environmental [...]
[...] …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsKMGH Denver -Daily Trojan Onlineall 519 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes [...]
[...] wounded at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -WXIA-TVall 504 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 [...]
[...] wounded at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -WXIA-TVall 504 news [...]
[...] wounded at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -WXIA-TVall 504 news [...]
[...] at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsCNN -Daily Trojan Onlineall 504 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes [...]
[...] wounded at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsDaily Trojan Online -WXIA-TVall 497 news articles » Filed Under: Google News Top Stories Tagged [...]
Why is a promoter inviting non USC people to a party in our campus center? What student organization partnered with the promoter? What needs to change so this doesn’t happen again? Because despite what the DPS spokesman Thomas said – this certainly DOES indicate a problem with the level of safety on campus – in the very heart of our campus! The students, staff and families deserve prompt answers to each of these questions, do they not?
I am shocked and disgusted on hearing this news. Everyone should have USC ID upon entering the campus that is just common sense.
The party was “Freaks or Greeks”, sponsored by the Black Student Association … news organizations aren’t mentioning the group, but a google search on “Freaks and Greeks” will find the flyer
Okay, that’s one answer. Students, employees and parents still deserve to know why the Black Student Organization was allowed to partner with a promoter who basically turned our beautiful campus center into some sort of ghetto nightclub. And what guidelines for student groups need to change so that this never happens again?
“beautiful campus center”? What do you think your campus is now Stanford and you are now in Palo Alto? Get real.
Tutor Center is incredibly beautiful. Stanford doesn’t even really have a campus center.
Yes, the Ronald Tutor center is gorgeous. And, yes, I have attended both universities. Don’t be so naive, BostonCardinal.
“Ghetto nightclub?” Completely inappropriate and offensive. As a parent and alum, you should know better.
What do you call a nightclub where thugs with guns shoot each other?
Please Google “SC Hype” and watch the Youtube video of a previous event held on campus by this same group. See if you are still offended.
This comment, referring to a “ghetto nightclub” is extremely offensive. It is clear that the term “ghetto” would not have been used had the event not been put on by a Black organization on campus. The racial bigotry in this comment reflects a greater problem of racial tension that is growing in the USC community.
Comments like this make me ashamed to be a Trojan. Do better.
This comment reflects the greater problem of liberal stupidity, which makes ME ashamed to be a Trojan. Yes, “Alumni,” let’s get all wrapped up about someone accurately describing what happened – it was, in fact, the ghetto intruding onto the campus as other comments have also acknowledged. Let’s get all indignant about THAT and ignore the larger question which is why ANY student organization – the Chess Club, the Song Girls, and YES the Black Student Association – is allowed to host an event with a promoter that brings in outsiders to campus like this. Did you see the video that someone else posted, by the way?
Focus on the problem at hand – how to avoid this type of safety threat to our students. Do better.
I don’t care that you feel ashamed. I do pretty well, too, so I don’t really feel like changing anything. And yeah—it was a ghetto event. Look at the video; in what civilized environment would something like that be permitted? I’m sorry the Black Student Assembly chose to do something like this—it only perpetuates and validates stereotypes that you are intent on ignoring.
[...] USC Halloween partyFox News2 suspects held in USC Halloween shooting that wounded 4Los Angeles TimesDaily Trojan Online -CNNall 490 news articles » This entry was posted in Uncategorized by [...]
[...] at campus …CBS News2 suspects arrested in shooting at USC Halloween partyFox NewsCNN -Daily Trojan Onlineall 481 news articles » VN:F [1.9.8_1114]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes [...]
And the band played on.