BREAKING: Student Shot and Killed at Broad Street Books; Spring Fling Cancelled

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UPDATE 3:21pm
From an all-campus e-mail:

This is an update of the emergency notification sent earlier this afternoon. A Wesleyan student was fatally shot at Red and Black Café this afternoon. The name of the student will be released upon notification of her immediate family. A gun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, however the suspect is still at large. Students, faculty and staff are urged to remain indoors while Middletown Police continue to search for suspect(s). All campus events scheduled for today, including Spring Fling, are canceled.

Michael Roth
President

UPDATE 2:49pm The Hartford Courant reports: Student Shot Dead Near Wesleyan:

MIDDLETOWN – A Wesleyan student was shot and killed in a midday shooting at a popular bookstore near the Wesleyan University campus around 1 p.m. today, police sources said.

A witness said someone entered Broad Street Books, at the intersection of Broad and William Street, approached a woman behind the counter and fired multiple shots.

Police are still searching for the gunman, whom they describe as a white male with a thin build. They recovered a gun at the scene, said Middletown Police Lt. Margaret Liseo. Police have cordoned off the area, she said.

All schools in Middletown were locked down as a precaution, Liseo said. A statement from Wesleyan University recommended that students and staff should remain indoors and remain there until further notice.

Police and medical personnel have temporarily closed nearby streets. Officers appeared briefly on the roof of Broad Street Books. Armed officers in fatigues are in the area, and two officers followed a police dog as it ran up William Street, apparently in pursuit of the suspect. Police said the gunman was a white male with a thin build.

The university also canceled the annual “Spring Fling” outdoor party on campus. Hundreds of students had gathered on campus for the event that started at noon today but were ordered to go indoors after the shooting.

broad-street-shooting2

I just got a text message from the Wesleyan emergency system that reads:

There has been a shooting near campus. Students, faculty and staff should remain indoors. Check e-mail for additional info.

The first e-mail just came in:

This is Mike Whaley, VP for Student Affairs with a Wesleyan Community Alert.

Middletown Police has notified the University that a shooting occurred just after 1:00pm today in the area of Broad Street Books. The suspect has not yet been identified. Middletown Police have responded to the area. We advise students, faculty and staff to remain indoors until more information is available.

As more information is obtained the community will be notified via e-mail.

Listen to the voice message that went out as an emergency notification here.

I’m off campus, so in addition to these messages, all I’ve heard is that the hill was cleared off.

Feel free to share updates/info in the comments of this post.

UPDATE from WFSB:

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Police said a woman was shot in a Middletown bookstore on Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting took place at about 1 p.m. in Broad Street Books, Wesleyan University’s bookstore.

The victim said she didn’t know the shooter.

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106 thoughts on “BREAKING: Student Shot and Killed at Broad Street Books; Spring Fling Cancelled”

  1. Pingback: Wesleyan Shooting « MiddBlog

  2. Anonymous

    Anybody who’d call Middletown a “blue collar, New England mill town” hasn’t been here in 60 years… There have been several incidents of shootings: in Eclectic, in Malcolm X, and the Kofi Taha also shot at North College from Van Vleck. But even with suicides, accidental deaths, etc., I don’t think there has ever been a murder, and not so close to campus. And guns are not the problem, a killer can use a knife.

  3. Anonymous

    Anybody who’d call Middletown a “blue collar, New England mill town” hasn’t been here in 60 years… There have been several incidents of shootings: in Eclectic, in Malcolm X, and the Kofi Taha also shot at North College from Van Vleck. But even with suicides, accidental deaths, etc., I don’t think there has ever been a murder, and not so close to campus. And guns are not the problem, a killer can use a knife.

  4. Anonymous

    Anybody who’d call Middletown a “blue collar, New England mill town” hasn’t been here in 60 years… There have been several incidents of shootings: in Eclectic, in Malcolm X, and the Kofi Taha also shot at North College from Van Vleck. But even with suicides, accidental deaths, etc., I don’t think there has ever been a murder, and not so close to campus. And guns are not the problem, a killer can use a knife.

  5. Anonymous

    Another anonymous Wesleying poster has said he was identified as 29 year old Steven Morgen on Fox News.

    (In case not everyone is compulsive enough to read the comments on every single post like I am).

  6. Anonymous

    Another anonymous Wesleying poster has said he was identified as 29 year old Steven Morgen on Fox News.

    (In case not everyone is compulsive enough to read the comments on every single post like I am).

  7. Anonymous

    Another anonymous Wesleying poster has said he was identified as 29 year old Steven Morgen on Fox News.

    (In case not everyone is compulsive enough to read the comments on every single post like I am).

  11. Anonymous

    hmmm yes hipsters are to blame. Chloe, run a scan on all hipsters in Middletown, cross reference it with weapons licenses

  12. Anonymous

    hmmm yes hipsters are to blame. Chloe, run a scan on all hipsters in Middletown, cross reference it with weapons licenses

  13. Anonymous

    hmmm yes hipsters are to blame. Chloe, run a scan on all hipsters in Middletown, cross reference it with weapons licenses

  14. Anonymous

    he looks like a hipster. i’ve seen plenty of hipsters on campus and here in brooklyn (where you’ll all end up in a couple of years) who are our age, roughly, and sport that hairstyle.

  15. Anonymous

    he looks like a hipster. i’ve seen plenty of hipsters on campus and here in brooklyn (where you’ll all end up in a couple of years) who are our age, roughly, and sport that hairstyle.

  16. Anonymous

    he looks like a hipster. i’ve seen plenty of hipsters on campus and here in brooklyn (where you’ll all end up in a couple of years) who are our age, roughly, and sport that hairstyle.

  20. Josie

    He looks a lot older than the average Wes student, so I doubt he is. That said, I’ve seen many guys on campus balding!

  21. Josie

    He looks a lot older than the average Wes student, so I doubt he is. That said, I’ve seen many guys on campus balding!

  22. Josie

    He looks a lot older than the average Wes student, so I doubt he is. That said, I’ve seen many guys on campus balding!

  23. Anonymous

    If he’s bald (the shooter), then it’s not a Wesleyan student as one of the news videos suggested it might be?

  24. Anonymous

    If he’s bald (the shooter), then it’s not a Wesleyan student as one of the news videos suggested it might be?

  29. Josie

    WFSB (Channel 2 News) just showed a surveillance picture of the suspect and it shows him with a gun. He appears to be white, has a dark beard, and is slightly balding with a comb over to the side. He looks to be around 30-40 years old (hard to tell because of the angle of the photo).

  30. Josie

    WFSB (Channel 2 News) just showed a surveillance picture of the suspect and it shows him with a gun. He appears to be white, has a dark beard, and is slightly balding with a comb over to the side. He looks to be around 30-40 years old (hard to tell because of the angle of the photo).

  35. johnwesley

    BennyF – there was a shooting inside the barbershop across the street from the Bookstore just last September. And there was another exchange of gunfire between residents of M’town on either Broad or Pearl Streets about ten years ago. If Wesleyan students have had any “innocence” left in terms of life in a blue collar, New England mill town, it has been largely in the form of a big fat fig leaf.

  36. johnwesley

    BennyF – there was a shooting inside the barbershop across the street from the Bookstore just last September. And there was another exchange of gunfire between residents of M’town on either Broad or Pearl Streets about ten years ago. If Wesleyan students have had any “innocence” left in terms of life in a blue collar, New England mill town, it has been largely in the form of a big fat fig leaf.

  39. Wes03Grad

    Good question Josie…you’d think the general public could help find him. Hopefully they will catch him soon.

  40. Wes03Grad

    Good question Josie…you’d think the general public could help find him. Hopefully they will catch him soon.

  41. Josie

    If police know who the suspect is and have yet to find him, then why in the hell won’t they offer up his name and photo?

  42. Josie

    If police know who the suspect is and have yet to find him, then why in the hell won’t they offer up his name and photo?

  46. Wes03Grad

    Name was confirmed…Johanna Justin-Jinich…so sad, may she rest in peace.

  49. Benny F.

    i graduated Wes in 1984. I can’t recall any shooting on campus. It’s the end of innocence. Reunion will be much more somber.

  50. Benny F.

    i graduated Wes in 1984. I can’t recall any shooting on campus. It’s the end of innocence. Reunion will be much more somber.

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