DOVER, DEL.-Loyer D. Braden, 18, was arrested in the shooting of two Delaware State University (DSU) students.

Court documents state that Braden is charged with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment, and a gun charge.

With his hands cuffed and his legs shackled, Braden was escorted to court by four Dover police officers. There, a justice of the peace ordered Braden to stay away from the victims and set bail at $60,000.

Braden allegedly shot Nathaniel Pugh III and Shalita Middleton, both 17, on Sept. 21 around 1 a.m. as they were leaving the campus café. Pugh’s mother, Michele Blackwell, stated that upon her son’s departure, he heard two gunshots and immediately started running. The third shot hit his ankle and shattered two bones. Pugh has been talking to the police, officials said.

Middleton, however, was shot in the abdomen, and will not be questioned until physicians clear her.

Another student, James Richmond, was allegedly shot at by Braden, resulting in the reckless endangerment charge.

Police are still investigating the motive behind the shooting. It is believed that Braden is a student at DSU.

The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Inc. (IACLEA) President Raymond Thrower issued the following statement Sept. 24 regarding DSU Police Department’s handling of the aftermath of the shootings:

WEST HARTFORD, CT (Sept. 24, 2007) – The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Inc. (IACLEA) commended the Administration and the Police Department at Delaware State University for its prompt actions following the shootings that injured two students early Friday morning on the campus in Dover, DE.

Administrators swiftly warned students of the shootings and ordered a shutdown of the campus on Friday, Sept. 21. The University alerted students by telephone, the web site, and by flyers posted around campus. University officials also ordered all non-essential personnel not to report to work on Friday, Sept. 21. The two students who were shot were hospitalized but their wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.

On behalf of its 1,200 institutional members representing institutions of higher education in the U.S. and worldwide and its nearly 2,000 individual members, IACLEA expressed its support to the Delaware State University community in this troubling time.

IACLEA is a professional association that advances the campus safety profession by providing educational resources, advocacy, and professional development programs and services.

“These shootings are a terrible reminder of our important responsibility to protect our students at colleges and universities,” IACLEA President Raymond H. Thrower, Jr., said. Campus public safety leaders must constantly examine and strengthen the training they provide to their officers and staff to ensure that they are doing all they can to protect the precious lives entrusted to them.

While incidents of shootings on college campuses are rare, each one is unacceptable and should be an opportunity to review emergency response plans and procedures. IACLEA has initiated a number of programs and professional development workshops to assist campus public safety leaders in protecting campuses against acts of violence. Through funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, IACLEA offers a Threat and Risk Assessment tool and a three-day Critical Incident Command class that trains command-level staff in managing incidents involving terrorism and other catastrophic events on campus. With these grants, IACLEA has also developed model emergency operations plans and guides for communicating and collaborating with mutual aid partners.

With the support from the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the National Advisory Board for Campus Public Safety is developing a model for a future National Center for Campus Public Safety. This center will serve as the focal point for policies, practices, and best practices. IACLEA also offers professional development programs on school violence prevention at its Annual Conference and other conferences.

While these training programs are important, campus public safety leaders must continue to work with our campus administrations and policy makers to ensure that adequate policies and resources are in place to prevent violence on our campuses.

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