Update on Campus Shootings

An update as of Monday evening on the condition of the five Duquesne players shot early yesterday morning near Vickroy Hall. Sam Ashaolu remains in critical condition at Mercy Hospital with his parents from Toronto by his side. Please keep Sam, and the others, in your thoughts and prayers.

Updated: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Links to news reports

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday morning following a dance at the Student Union. The shooting reportedly resulted from a jealous, non-student boyfriend who was unhappy that the girlfriend he accompanied talked with one or more of the Dukes.

A female Duquesne student was arrested Monday night, released on bail Tuesday and suspended by Duquesne Wednesday. Two 18-year old young men from Penn Hills have been arrested and arraigned by the Pittsburgh police.

Five players were stuck by gunshots and were aided by teammates even while bullets were still flying.

Couple examples from the Associated Press' Alan Robinson in his latest article:

• "(Stephen) Wood, who was not struck, said he saw Baldonado bleeding badly from his left arm and quickly took off his own shirt and applied a tourniquet."
• "(Kojo) Mensah, struck himself, aided several players by helping to barricade them behind a steel door."
• "(Aaron) Jackson lifted the 250-pound Baldonado on his back, carried him to his car and drove him to nearby Mercy Hospital." Jackson, who also was wounded, weighs around 180 pounds.

This is the latest information on the injured young men.

• Sam Ashaolu (6-7, 200), a Toronto native who prepped in Virginia, transferred to Duquesne from Lake Region Community College in Devils Lake, N.D. He is the most seriously hurt. Sam was shot in the head and remains in critical condition in Mercy Hospital's ICU. The bullet shattered into 3 pieces. His parents and AAU coach Ro Russell are with him.

  Russell told the Post-Gazette late Monday, "The doctors have told us the swelling has gone down a little and he's been moving around a little and squeezing people's hands."

  Wednesday, Duquesne President Charles J. Dougherty told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Jill King Greenwood that Sam had been moving his limbs and responding to commands today.

• Stuard Baldonaldo (6-7, 225), a native of San Andres, Colombia, was a junior college All-American at Miami Dade College in Florida before signing with the Dukes. He was admitted to Mercy Hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds in his left arm and back.

  "He was told by surgeons that a bullet missed his spinal column which would almost certainly cause paralysis by one-quarter of an inch before lodging in a lower back muscle." (AP)

  Reconstructive surgery was performed on his left arm; the bullet in his back was removed Tuesday. His improved state, now fair condition, enabled Mercy to move Stuard to his room. He will need a couple months rehabilitation from these injuries.

• Kojo Mensah (6-1, 183), an All-MAAC player last season at Siena, transferred this semester to Duquesne. He is paying his own way this year.

  Kojo was shot in the right shoulder and the left forearm. He was hospitalized overnight at Presbyterian Hospital and discharged Monday. He and James attended a team meeting Tuesday evening.

• Shawn James (6-10, 210), the CAA Defensive Player of the Year, transferred from Northeastern to stay with Coach Ron Everhart. An AAU teammate of Mensah's, Shawn was shot in the foot. He was treated and released by Mercy Sunday morning.
• Aaron Jackson (6-3, 180) was Duquesne's starting point guard last season. The weight-lifter and Connecticut native was also treated and released Sunday morning. He had been shot in the hand.