Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: The Review "My students are safe," said DSU Police Chief, James Overton. "We have the shooter in custody and that's the most important part."

The three day investigation concerning the Delaware State University shootings ended last week with an arrest by the Delaware State University and Dover Police Departments.

On Monday, Sept. 24, Layer Braden, an 18 year old freshman at Delaware State University (DSU), was arrested on four charges: attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless endangering. Following the arrest, Braden was admittted to a jail in Dover, Delaware, with a bail set at $75,000.

"My students are safe," said DSU Police Chief, James Overton. "We have the shooter in custody and that's the most important part."

Two of the three victims of the shooting were admitted to the hospital as a result of the injuries they sustained during the shooting.

Shalita Middleton, 17, was reportedly shot twice in the abdomen and is in "critical conditon" at Christiana Hospital, according to the University of Delaware student newspaper, The Review.

Nathaniel Pugh III was shot once in the ankle. He told his mother he was shot while trying to run away from the shooting, according to the CNN website. Pugh was sent to Kent General Hospital in Dover where he was listed as being in "stable condition."

Braden is also accused of firing at, but missing, James Richmond.

Allen Sessoms, President of DSU, expressed pride of the school's quick response in alerting the students and securing the campus.

The police reports indicate the shooting was first reported at 12:54 a.m. on Sept. 21. The "initial notifiication" for students on campus was completed by 2:01 a.m.

"That's a lesson of Virginia Tech - quick response," Sessoms said according to The Review. "We communicated immediately. You can't believe people are going to read their e-mails at 1 o'clock in the morning. We went around and knocked on doors; we put fliers up in residence halls."

The campus remained on lockdown for the Fri. and Sat. following the shooting. During this time, only essential personnel were permitted to enter campus; employees were told not to go to work.

Brian Alexitch, 22, a resident of Dover, Delaware, where DSU is located, said the school has experienced shootings before this latest incident.

A 14 year resident, Alexitch said he could "definitely" recall at least two other shootings in the school's history.

"It's not usually a national story," he said. "I think Virginia Tech probably increased the publicity."

Nevertheless, the shootings still have an impact on the community as well as the school, Alexitch said.

"It's still nerve-racking and obviously very sad when it happens," he said.

However, Ashley Todd, a senior as DSU, said "nothing like this has ever happened" the three years she has been living on campus, according to The Review.

"Of course you hear about shootings happening in Delaware and around the campus, but not actually on campus," Todd said.

"We've been through difficult times and we know what it means to support the families," Sessoms said. "We are going to work to get to the bottom of whatever kinds of tensions exist on campus - they're on every campus."

Article Tools