POSTED: 1:14 pm EDT May 6, 2009
UPDATED: 7:46 pm EDT May 6, 2009
As the search for the gunman continued, police identified a Wesleyan University student who was fatally shot inside a school bookstore.
Police said Johanna Justin-Jinich was shot multiple times at point-blank range inside the Broad Street Bookstore at about 1 p.m. Wednesday. She was taken to Middlesex Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Police said the gunman entered the book store wearing a wig and carrying a gun. They said Justin-Jinich worked at the bookstore café.
Middletown police said they recovered a gun and the wig and know the identity of the suspect.
As a precaution, university officials enacted the school’s emergency plan after the shooting, and asked that all students and staff immediately get indoors.
Police said they didn’t believe the gunman remained on campus Wednesday evening and the university told students they could go about their regularly scheduled activities.
With assistance from the superintendent of schools, police said, all Middletown public and private schools were locked down immediately after the shooting until the end of the school day as a precautionary measure. They said the students were released as usual at the end of the day.
Police said the Street Crimes Unit and a K-9 unit were called to the scene. They said a half-mile perimeter was set up around the area.
School officials said the library and the Freeman Athletic Center would be closed for the rest of the day and that meal service had been moved to the Usdan University Center.
“If you are interested in joining with others in a safe space to help you cope with today’s events, staff from the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Office of Behavioral Health and the Class Deans will be in the Daniel Family Commons on the third floor of Usdan beginning at 6 p.m. to provide comfort and support along with other students to help cope with this tragedy,” Dean Mike Whaley said.
Another defenseless college shooting. Along with many other students I am stressed over finals; unfortunately, I forgot these are just long test and there are more important things…LIFE itself.
As a precaution, university officials enacted the school’s emergency plan after the shooting, and asked that all students and staff immediately get indoors.
Yeah, like that has worked real well in the past. :rolleyes: My answer would be no and I am leaving the area. I suppose this is an area where you can’t CCW on a school even a university?
Almost sounded like a Mafia hit. Had to be someone she knew, sounds like they have a pretty good bead on the shooter. Sad.
Yeah, don’t know If I’d want to hunker down in an unguarded building. Sounds like the plan to keep people in the towers after the first 9/11 airplane hit.
This doesn’t strike me as a situation where a CCW would have saved this broad. It was an assassination. Someone may have been able to put a few rounds into the killer, but the victim didn’t have a chance from what the story says.
CT has relatively few off-limits areas for CCW, compared to other states.
If you don’t have permission from the principal, you may not CCW in a school, as defined. If you do have permission, you CAN CCW in a school. (!)
You can’t CCW while bowhunting.
You can’t CCW at the state capitol.
No weapons in state parks.
You can’t CCW in posted places, which, surprisingly, are very few. The only places I’ve seen posted are the state police barracks, and one sports arena in Bridgeport.
Unlike other states, CCWing in a posted area , or area declared by the property owners to be off-limits, can be prosecuted as a crime. It’s not treated as just a mere tresspassing offense or civil infraction. You can land in the pokey and have your CCW taken away.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Wesleyan had a no-weapons policy on campus. Ergo, no CCW.
Wow I grew up in Portland which is literally right across the Connecticut River from Middletown where Wesleyan University is. I know the exact book store this happened in. That is shocking.
That said Wesleyan is an ULTRA liberal school and I seriously doubt they would allow CCW on campus.
Sad fact is, understanding that this probably happened very fast, if a CCW holder had been present and carrying and seen this going down a beautiful young woman may still have her life.
And they say if they allow CCWs then the streets and halls will run red, I think they are pretty red now.
I attend James Madison University which is a public institution; therefore, if you are not affiliated with JMU in anyway (student, faculty, staff) then you are allowed to CCW or even open carry. We just recently established a Students for Concealed Carry on Campus organization and I am now the Events Coordinator. There is a lot of opposition to our organization, but also a lot of support. Hopefully, we are able to push the issue enough to allow students to legally CCW on campus.
No one knows what could have happened if someone in the cafe was carrying, but there is always that maybe…her life could have been spared. May she RIP and that low life rot.
GOOD for youse guys (lousy to be an employee or student there, though - that’s some serious BASS-ACKWARD thinking! :rolleyes:). Of course, back in our day (rural college in Appalachia), LOTS of people CCW’d, and didn’t particularly CARE what the law was! Nice quiet campus, too.
