University of South Carolina Libraries
? The South Carolina Library g Campus Volume LXX, No. 1 8 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Oct. 8, 1979 2 killed, 5 wounded use ~TZ*n 5^T r-^gfr^S kVT! ft9ln^^HRiHB: iP Police remove the body of West social hell. Victirr By Mtcha* N?wa I and L?roy OsnrMcock S Victims of the shooting sprc a disco party at Bates West s the motive behind the shooting "I just wonder why he start one of the students who was said. McCray, who's femur entered his leg, said he was al when he began firing the revo the disco. It sounded like firec whv it was on the other side c DJ was/'he said. '/ saw a gun fie saw him waving everyone panicked I "I saw a gun flashing, and tt ana everyone panicked. Met my leg, and I tried to run to th< everyone was standing, but I if was running in different direc at one time," he said. "Somec t stude m a h K 9H -^ ::': >>Zy^' ' '??^H| . IH 1 g B 9V B W Elm Hj^B s ^fl^B^r Jj r the first victim of Seturdey i is of she I Goodfoa Editor WHNitms Itaff WrH*r je early Saturday morning at ocial hall were puzzled as to :s. ed shooting," Randy McCray, shot inside the social room, was fractured when a bullet tout 20 feet from the assailant Iver. "I thought it was part of :rackers, but I was wondering tf the room and not where the ishing, and than I j the gun, and I 0 m ?Randy McCray MtV) I GQill Kim tiiQtrmrf miM ?V*? * OtITV CI 1**1 TTHTlUg ure gun, 'ray said. "I felt something in 5 other side of the room where ell down halfway." Everyone tions, and "they ran over me ?ne, I don't know who, carried . >nu^^ .: ;'>'^BpJ^B|p% B mm Wm 1W n^rS^^R4^Hf morning's tragedy from Bates House i ? toting puz2 me outside and tried to calm me down be scared." A NURSE AT S.C. Baptist Hospital said Mc probably be hospitalized for an extensive period David Simmons, who was shot in the neck, sa idea of the motive, and he didn't know the alleffc Mark Houston. Simmons said he was very clos at the time the shooting began, and he believe by the second bullet. Simmons, who had worke himself, said he thought the gunshots were part effects. All aC o aaisisifirt f maamIa nil vt a ouviuvii, a iicaiu fiwjjic ati CtlllllUK, . thousandth of a second before the screanr something hit me in the hack of my neck," Sin "1 thought it was a rock, but I put my hands to my neck, and I was bleeding. Then I hit the deck Simmons said he crawled to the corner when were huddled and showed them his hands, and screaminfl. One ffirl said. "Let's cet nut of hare out the door and jumped over some hushes. Sii went into Bates House Dormitory where he wa down. "I go home almost every weekend. This > second weekend up here," Simmons added. HJSC STUDENT Dennis Yeldell said he was at the social room at Bates West when he heard saw students running out, so jve followed t Yeldell left the front door of Bates West, proci ramp and started running down the ramp w: student, Aaron Carter. * in shoe By Mark Platte Assistant News Edhor A Homecoming fraternity party ended in tragedy as two USC students were killed and five others wounded early Saturday morning during a shooting incident at Bates West social room. USC student Mark Houston, 19, of Columbia, allegedly shot five people at the Bates West social hall qnH turn mnrp nri thp npdoctrian """ " ramp leading to Bates at about 12:15 a.m. after an open disco party held by Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity: HOUSTON HAD been leaning against the wall during the party, when without apparent reason, he allegedly shot Terrell G. Johnson, of St. Matthews, in the head. Johnson died in the social hall, according to USC spokesman Chip uray. Others shot and injured in the social hall were William Terry Langston, 20, of Easley who was recently released from Richland Memorial Hospital with a minor gunshot wound; David Simmons, 17, of Charleston, who is in stable condition at Baptist Hospital with a gunshot wound in his neck; Michael Lawyer, 18, of Moncks uorner, is in siaDie conaition ai Baptist Hospital following a gunshot injury to the top of his L ^caip; Randy McCray, 18, o< Columbia, is recovering at Baptist, - n I 1 L'i 1? 11 Aft? -L I _ auer Deing nu in me inign uy a bullet. Shot on the pedestrian ramp were Patrick McGinty, 19, a USC freshman who was pronounced dead at 5:28 a.m. Saturday after surgery at Richland Memorial Hospital. .McGinty, of Wilmington, Del., was shot in the back as he was leaving Bates Friday night, according to Gray. John Aiken, 20, of Sumter, was also shot in the back on the ramp and is now in fair condition at Diflklnn/I Mnmnmnl Uncnitnl mviuauu mcuiui tai ljiuopiioi, Aiken, an Allen University student, had been listed in nritiral condition on Saturday, according to a Richland County official. Aiken has a damaged spine. AT 3:25 A.M. Saturday, Columbia Policemen C.R. lied as to cause I was The two students rai where they saw a secur iCray would shooting. They followc I of time. west, out tney saw tne id he had no I I "7" id assailant, He looked S know what ha &*?3 running.' and about a ling, I felt shooting the first two ] nmons said. ^ o^?r direction, Yel tile back of Yeldell said he saw i 8 some girls <*P ta the asMUa' they ran off ??J" 1?U?r , and we ran ?**? 1 f?f ?' nmons then H*"*me. ne m is told to lie he should do and kept c vas only my An eyewitness, who said "I heart the first t tr, When I turned arounc knew what w was'?32 he crowd." ti1e eyewitnesj ieded to the shot. He said Houstoi Ith a fellow turned around, staye door " ' ytings Chandler and Sergeant Butch Carnaggie, arrested suspect Houston at Higgins Hall in Allen university, nousion was iouna in his cousin's room, according to Gray. Steve Brown, of the Columbia Solicitor's Office, said that Houston's cousin called his parents, who told police where to find him. According to Brown, Houston went peacefully but was upset at his parents' having called the police. Columbia police recovered a .32caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, which will be tested by the Columbia ballistics division of the^ Columbia police. "Un Mark Houston fortunately, the state of South Carolina is one of those states where you can register a car but you don't have to register a gun. You can buy it, and it's yours," Brown said. Unnctnn 4 rnr irJnnf nf Uov/>n llVUObVll, U I vuIVIvlii VI AViaAV.jr Dorm, is being charged with two counts of murder and five counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. He will be arraigned today at the Richland County Court House, where he will be informed of the charges brought against him, according to Brown. POLICE STILL have found no motive in the killings, according to n 1 ' _1 At - Al uray. orown saia mere is a meory of a possible motive when Houston was refused a $2 refund after police broke up a party last week given by a fraternity member. "He's innocent at this point, he'8 just in a lot more trouble," Brown said. motive n to the physical education center ity guard running to the scene of the >d the guard back towards Bates assailant mining down the ramp, at me like he didn't should do and kept on -Dennis Yeldell people he met. He and Carter ran in Idell said. a "silver object which sounded like a it's hand. Me and Zeus (Carter) took tion, and because I was running in ne I got back up, he (assailant) was toked at me like he didn't know what >n running." was four to six feet from the suspect, (hot and thought it was a firecracker. I, the first thing I saw was a gun. I i:L.? ?? m ccuiuer gun. \ saw Terrell Johnson fall after being i began firing shots to his right. "I d down low and went to the back