1 dead, 11 hurt in fraternity house shooting

2 held in violence near Youngstown State campus

2/7/2011

YOUNGSTOWN -- Police have arrested two Youngstown men who they believe opened fire at an off-campus fraternity house at Youngstown State University, killing one man and injuring 11 others early yesterday.

One of the victims, fraternity member Jamail Jackson, 25, who lived at the house, had escorted one of the two suspects out of the after-hours party at the house a short time before the gunfire.

He was fatally wounded, police said.

Shavai Owens, 17, of Youngstown was shot in the head and remained in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Health Center, police said.

All the victims were from Youngstown except one, who was from Girard, police said.

Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said the department was not ready to release the names of the two suspects -- both in their early 20s -- until after more interviews are conducted with witnesses.

"These guys were in the location for a little while before the shooting occurred," Chief Hughes said. "Something happened that they became unhappy. They had some type of altercation."

The chief said neither man had an extensive criminal record.

Each has been charged with aggravated murder, shooting into a habitation, and 11 counts of felonious assault.

Chief Hughes said one of the men turned himself in at the Youngstown Police Department and the other was picked up at his home.

Chief Hughes and Capt. Rod Foley said it is still not known whether gunfire that occurred at a bar about 1:30 a.m. Sunday or a fight at another bar had any ties to the fraternity house shootings.

No one was hit by the gunfire at the bar, Chief Hughes said.

Captain Foley said about 50 people were believed to have been inside the Omega Psi Phi fraternity house when two men returned about 3 a.m. and fired their weapons into an open doorway, hitting the party-goers.

The party at the fraternity house had apparently only been going on for an hour or so before the shootings, Captain Foley said.

The fraternity house doesn't have a history of trouble or loud parties, Chief Hughes added.

Members of the university-sanctioned Omega Psi Phi fraternity lived at the house, YSU spokesman Ron Cole said.

"This is one of those days that every university president across the country, as well as many other officials, always dread," said YSU President Cynthia Anderson.

Blood trails in the snow in front of the house and a YSU police car out front were the only outward indications of a problem that remained yesterday afternoon.

"Gov. [John] Kasich called my office a little bit ago to express his condolences, his support, and assistance to YSU and to the Mahoning Valley community," Ms. Anderson said.

The governor issued a statement yesterday pledging any state assistance that may be needed.