PITTSBURGH – Two young men accused of shooting five college basketball players after a student union dance at Duquesne University have been arrested.
Brandon Baynes, 19, and William Holmes, 18, were arrested Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, respectively, and charged with five counts each of attempted homicide and aggravated assault and single counts of a weapons violation and conspiracy. Brittany Jones, 19, who police say helped the two men smuggle guns into the school dance and was also a student at the university, was charged with reckless endangerment, carrying a firearm without a license and conspiracy.
According to police, at about 2 a.m., Baynes and Holmes, both of whom were not students of the university, shot the Duquesne basketball players after having a brief argument with them over a woman they had brought to the student union dance.
The two men were in a group that confronted the basketball players after they witnessed the woman hugging one of the basketball players. The basketball players turned around to avoid an escalation, and that is when Baynes and Holmes began firing at them. Witnesses estimate that as many as 12 shots were fired.
The school is now conducting a review of its security policy in response to questions regarding its lack of metal detectors at school functions.
Two of the basketball players, Sam Ashaolu, 23, and Stuard Baldonado, 21, remain hospitalized in critical and fair condition, respectively. The three other victims were treated and released.
