UCA campus shooting suspects charged
| Updated: 10/29/2008 10:21 am |
Published: 10/26/2008 10:38 pm |
Little Rock, AR. Four men, all under the age of 21 face two counts of capital murder and a long list of other charges. Tuesday evening, a source close to the investigation confirmed to FOX16 News the murder weapon was found.
UCA police investigators were back out at the scene early Tuesday evening looking for a shell casing near Arkansas Hall. Shortly after, the semi-automatic handgun used in the double-murder was located off campus but inside Conway city limits, sources tell FOX16.
At a Tuesday afternoon briefing to announce charges, police for the first time said the shooting may have resulted from mistaken identity.
"The victims, it appears that they were not the intended targets," says Preston Grumbles with the UCA police. Grumbles added the intended targets of Sunday night's shooting were not UCA students and are no longer on campus and adds UCA students are not at any threat for retaliation.
Mario Toney, 20 of Little Rock, Brandon Wade, 20 of Lake Village, Kelcey Perry, 19 of Morrilton and Kawin Brockman, 19 of Conway are charged with two counts each of capital murder. They also face eight counts each of committing a terrorist act, illegally possessing a firearm, firing a weapon from a car and having a handgun on a public school property.
"This is an incredibly heinous case," says Marcus Vaden, prosecuting attorney for the 20th judicial district. When you have a situation where it appears some, if not all, of the victims were innocent bystanders, that's bad," Vaden says.
All four suspects are being held without bond, until their first court appearance which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
UCA Press Release
CONWAY, ARK. -- First State Bank of Conway, Ark., has established an account to accept donations for the families of Chavares Block and Ryan Henderson, who lost their lives in the Oct. 26 shooting incident at the University of Central Arkansas.
To donate to the Block-Henderson Memorial Fund, please visit any First State Bank location or call 501-328-HOME. (A list of branch locations is available at
http://www.fsbhome.com/branches.html.)
All funds received will be provided to the two families to help them through their difficult time.
