Two Dead In UCA Shooting (Arkansas)

UCA Police says the shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. near the Snow Fine Arts Center.

One person died on the scene and the second died at Conway Regional Medical Center according to a hospital spokesperson. The third person injured in the shooting has been treated and released from the hospital.

Warwick Sabin, UCA vice president of communications, says police are looking for four suspects in the case, one of which has been apprehended.

Classes are cancelled for Monday and all housing facilities are restricted to residents only.

University of Central Arkansas

Two people were killed and a third person wounded in a shooting Sunday night on the University of Central Arkansas campus, police said.

Campus police and the Conway Police Department were investigating the shootings late Sunday and were not releasing the names of the victims.

Lt. Rhonda Swindle, a spokesman for UCA campus police, said she did not know if the two person people killed or the wounded person were students.

Lori Ross, a spokesman for Conway Regional Medical Center, said all of the victims were men. One died at the scene, and two others were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds about 10 p.m.

One of those victims, an 18-year year old, died at the hospital, Ross said. Another man, who is 19, was treated and released, she said.

A 911 call reporting a shooting on campus was recorded at 9:52 p.m., Swindle said. Campus police found a body near the Arkansas Hall dormitory and the Snow Fine Arts Center.

There were reports that police had made an arrest in the shootings, but Swindle at an 11 p.m. news conference said she could not confirm. A notice on UCA’s Web site late Sunday said a suspect was in custody and that the campus was closed.

http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/oct/27/shooting-uca-campus/?subscriber/national

http://www.uca.edu/

QUOTE:

http://www.uca.edu/web/weblog/index.php?itemid=2109&catid=10

Classes canceled Monday, October 27, 2008
Classes canceled Monday, October 27, 2008

October 26, 2008
President Courtway has canceled classes for Monday, October 27, 2008.

More information will be posted here as it becomes available.

Originally posted October 26, 2008 @ 11:07 PM

QUOTE:

http://www.uca.edu/web/weblog/index.php?itemid=2108&catid=10

CRIME ALERT - CAMPUS CLOSED
CRIME ALERT - CAMPUS CLOSED

October 26, 2008
The UCA Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on campus. At present there are four suspects. One suspect is in custody.

THE CAMPUS IS CLOSED. ALL HOUSING FACILITIES ARE RESTRICTED TO RESIDENTS ONLY.

Originally posted October 26, 2008 @ 10:35 PM

UPDATE from the university’s home page:

http://www.uca.edu/

UPDATE:

http://www.uca.edu/web/weblog/index.php?itemid=2110&catid=10

Information about UCA campus shooting

October 27, 2008
In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information about the shooting incident that occurred during the evening of Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008, on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, UCA will release as much information as possible on its homepage at www.uca.edu.

UPDATE (Oct. 27, 4:30 p.m.): The UCA Police Department has announced that it has detained a third suspect believed to have been involved in the shooting incident.

No arrests have been made yet, but the UCAPD is optimistic that the fourth and final suspect will be brought in soon.

UCA police officials are working with the Faulkner County Prosecutor to formalize charges in the case.

UPDATE (Oct. 27, 12:45 p.m.): UCA further identifies the student victims as Chavares Block, 19, a sophomore pre-engineering major from Dermott who first enrolled at UCA in Fall 2007; and Ryan Henderson, 18, a freshman from Little Rock with an undeclared major. Block lived off campus, and Henderson lived in Arkansas Hall.

Counseling for UCA students, faculty and staff is available through the UCA Counseling Center at four campus locations:

State Hall
Arkansas Hall (1st Floor Study Room Mini Lobby)
Harrin Hall (Room 117)
The UCA Counseling Center (Student Health Center, Suite 327)

Two events have been organized to mourn the loss of Chavares Block and Ryan Henderson:

A candlelight memorial arranged by the UCA Student Government Association will take place tonight at 5 p.m. at the UCA Fountain.

A prayer vigil will take place tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. at Ida Waldran Auditorium on behalf of all religious registered student organizations.

Also, Keeping a Child Alive will be in the UCA Student Center all day tomorrow distributing ribbons in memory of the students who lost their lives.

UPDATE (Oct. 27, 9:45 a.m.): UCA held a press conference at 9 a.m. Central time at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on the UCA campus.

The identities of the two deceased UCA students were released: Ryan Henderson, 18, of Little Rock, and Chavares Block, 19, of Dermott.

The other victim, who is not a UCA student, is Martrevis Norman of Blytheville.

The lead investigator for the case, UCAPD Lt. Preston Grumbles, confirmed that four suspects are believed to have been involved in the shooting, and two are now in custody. No UCA students are suspects. Grumbles said the incident does not appear to be random. He expressed confidence that the location of the other two suspects has been identified.

Grumbles said numerous shots were fired during the incident, but investigators are not prepared to reveal the type of weapon used.

UCA interim president Tom Courtway announced that classes at UCA will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 28.

NEWS SUMMARY (Oct. 27, 3 a.m.)

The UCA Police Department received a call at 9:19 p.m. reporting shots fired. At the same time, a UCA police officer heard the shots and responded immediately.

The first two UCAPD officers were on the scene of the shooting at 9:19 p.m. The incident occurred outdoors between Arkansas Hall and the Snow Fine Arts Center.

The first MEMS ambulance arrived on scene at 9:28 p.m., and the first Conway Fire Department vehicle was on scene at 9:30 p.m.

One victim, a UCA student, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other injured victims were transported to Conway Regional Medical Center. One of those victims, also a UCA student, died at the hospital. The other victim, who was not a UCA student, was treated and eventually released from the hospital.

The names of the victims will not be released until their relatives are notified.

UCA residence halls and the UCA Student Center were immediately locked down after the incident was reported. However, the UCA campus itself is not locked down, although officers are posted at every campus entrance, and access to campus is limited to residents and authorized personnel. [UPDATE: Access to the UCA campus is open.]

All 25 UCAPD officers were immediately dispatched. The UCAPD’s automated alert system was initiated, and every residence hall was contacted by telephone to instruct officials to secure the facilities and restrict access to the buildings. E-mails were sent to UCA student, faculty and staff e-mail systems, as well as the Safe@UCA e-mail listserv. A notification also was posted on the UCA homepage at www.uca.edu, as well as the UCAPD website at www.ucapd.com.

The UCAPD is conducting a joint investigation with the Conway Police Department and the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office.

A person of interest has been detained, although that person is not under arrest at this time.

Classes are canceled at UCA for Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. However, the campus is open and UCA faculty and staff can report to work.

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