University Police arrested four students Monday night for firing a BB gun at students entering Goodyear Hall, injuring two students in the incident.
The four students - Michael Burton, Kevin James, Ajay Abraham and Stephen Rivera - began by firing at a parked car and an ATM in the University Plaza, across from South Campus. They returned to a dorm room in Goodyear Hall, where they began firing on residents entering the building through an open window. Before the four were stopped, one student had been shot in the calf and another suffered an injury to the head.
The four students were charged with assault, criminal mischief and unlawful possession of a weapon. In addition, James was charged by the Amherst Police Department with felony criminal mischief for breaking the window of the parked car.
Kelly Hennessy, Goodyear Hall director, refused to comment but said she was aware of the incident.
According to Joseph Krakowiak, director of University Residence Halls and Apartments, the shooters have been suspended from the residence halls.
The students were declared a "clear and present danger," and were immediately suspended from the university, according to Dennis Black, vice president for Student Affairs. The perpetrators face charges both on and off campus and will appear before the Student Wide Judiciary, said Black.
The students will be allowed to argue their case to remove the "clear and present danger" label and will only be permitted back to the university if that tag is removed, Black said.
If the label is not lifted, the four will not be able to return to UB until the proceedings against them are concluded. The students could either be held responsible or not responsible, said Black, and depending on the verdict, they could receive as little as a sanction or as much as expulsion.
