Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - The Michigan Daily -13A
Three
arrested in
Duquesne
shooting
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Police charged two men
Tuesday with shooting five Duquesne University
basketball players after a school dance, and they
accused a 19-year-old sophomore of helping get the
men and their friends into the dance despite knowing
some were armed.
Brandon Baynes, 18, was arraigned on five counts
of criminal attempt at homicide. Prosecutors also
filed charges of aggravated assault, criminal con-
spiracy and weapons counts against him and William
Holmes, 18. A reckless endangerment charge was
also filed against Holmes, who is still being sought.
Three players remained hospitalized following
Sunday's shootings after the dance. The most seri-
ously wounded, junior forward Sam Ashaolu, 23,
was in critical condition with bullet fragments in his
head.
Brittany Jones, accused of helping get some young
men with guns into the party, was arrested Monday
on charges of reckless endangerment, carrying a fire-
arm without a license and criminal conspiracy. She
was arraigned and posted bond Tuesday morning.
According to the criminal complaint, Jones -
who is active with the Black Student Union, which
sponsored the dance - got a call from a man ask-
ing whether he and his brother could attend. They
arrived with four others, including Baynes and Hol-
mes, about midnight, according to police.
While walking to the party, Jones told police,
she became aware that several of the men had guns,
authorities said.
They asked Jones whether they were going to be
"patted down" before entering, officials said. The
doorman reportedly told Jones partygoers weren't
being searched, and the men went into the dance,
police said.
According to the criminal complaint against
Baynes, a witness at the dance reported hearing an
argument and saw two men firing guns at the vic-
tims. Using driver's license photos, the witness iden-
tified one man as Baynes.
Baynes did not speak during the brief court hear-
ing. His father said the teen was not guilty.
"My son never fired a gun in his life," A.J. Baynes
said. He said his son knew Holmes, but he would not
discuss what his son told him about the shooting.
Sumner Parker, an attorney representing Baynes,
denied his client was the gunman but said Baynes
had identified the shooter in a statement to police.
Parker said Baynes had gone to the dance with three
friends, none of them part of the group believed
involved in the shooting.
In interviews Monday with The Associated Press,
Sooners
,might
cancel
game
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Okla-
homa would consider canceling its
game at Washington in 2008 if
the Pacific 10 Conference doesn't
change its rule requiring league
officials to be used at its home sta-
diums, Sooners coach Bob Stoops
said Tuesday.
The Sooners lost 34-33 at Ore-
gon on Saturday, and Pac-10 com-
missioner Tom Hansen has since
said that two incorrect calls by the
league's officials on Oregon's behalf
changed the outcome of the game.
On Monday, Oklahoma president
David Boren sent a letter to Big 12
commissioner Kevin Weiberg ask-
ing him to pursue having the Pac-10
remove its officiating policy.
"I think there's no question that
(athletic director) Joe Castiglione
and I and President Boren, if that
rule is not changed that we may
reconsider that game, and I think
it's justified," Stoop said. "We'll
look into that"
Oklahoma defeated Washington
37-20 on Sept. 9 in the first game of
the home-and-home series.
The Sooners also played a home-
and-home series against UCLA of
the Pac-10 in 2003 and 2005. The
game at Oregon concluded a series
that began in Norman in 2004.
AP PHOTO
Pittsburgh police detectives lead 18-year-old Brandon Baynes, center, from police headquarters in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
several players said the shooter was a non-student act in accordance with school policy.
unhappy that the woman he accompanied to the Besides Ashaolu, the other injured players were
dance had talked with a player. The shooter and at junior guard Kojo Mensah, 21; 6-foot-7 forward Stu-
least one other man followed the players when they ard Baldonado, 21; junior center Shawn James, 23;
left the dance to walk to their dormitory, they said. and Aaron Jackson, 20, a guard who is one of only
Jones' attorney, James Ecker, would not confirm two returning players from Duquesne's 3-24 team
Tuesday whether she was cooperating with authori- last season.
ties and would not comment on reports that authori- Baldonado was in fair condition Tuesday with arm
ties may drop charges if she provides information to and back injuries; he likely won't play this season
the police. because his back injury will require two to three
"I can say she's spent a lot of time with police in the months of rehabilitation. He was expected to be
last couple of days, Sunday and Monday," Ecker said. released from the hospital by the end of the week.
"Until this case goes to a hearing or trial, she's Mensah, shot in an arm and shoulder, was kept at a
presumed innocent," he said. hospital to receive additional injections of antibiotics
University president Charles Dougherty said he but was expected to be discharged later Tuesday.
was grateful to police for the "swift arrest of the In an interview with The Associated Press on
individual who may have been the shooter in the Monday, Jackson said he and teammate Stephen
vicious attacks on Duquesne University students last Wood dropped to the ground when shots rang out.
Sunday morning." Mensah, Baldonado and Ashaolu were the first play-
A university spokeswoman said the school was ers hit in the attack. James was wounded on the foot
examining the allegations against Jones and would but escaped by running across the football field.
r
BELL
Continued from page 11A
are playoff tested and know what it's like to play in October.
It really all depends on how Detroit's young players perform. Rogers is
hot, winning his last five decisions, but young aces Bonderman and Ver-
lander have been all over the place in the season's last few months. One
start they're nearly flawless, others they can't protect a multi-run lead.
The Tigers have the talent - they wouldn't be leading the toughest
division in the majors if that wasn't true.
They've got heart - they would have folded after both Chicago and
Minnesota got within three games of them earlier in the year if that
wasn't true.
And they've got a bunch of loyal, hungry fans behind them.
Now the question remains: Can they do what the Pistons and Red
Wings couldn't do this year and actually play their best ball in the play-
offs?
I guess we'll just have to watch in October to find out.
Mmhm, October.
- Bell's next order of business: waiting 40 years until the Lions can
muster up a winning record. He can be reached at scotteb@umich.edu.
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