FRESNO, Calif. — Police searched neighborhoods near a university campus Tuesday for a student suspected of opening fire in an apartment during a dispute over a video game console, killing one person and wounding two.
Police initially believed the suspect was still in the apartment complex, but they expanded the search after determining he had slipped away. The complex is across a street from the California State University, Fresno, stadium, but the university remained open.
"This is not another Virginia Tech," police spokesman Jeff Cardinale said. "This is simply a dispute between one person and a group of individuals."
The suspect began shooting during a confrontation with four men over a Playstation game console late Monday, Cardinale said.
Cardinale identified the suspect as Jonquel Brooks, 19, of Hayward, who was majoring in criminology. Brooks' parents were helping authorities, who were communicating with Brooks by cell phone to negotiating a surrender, said Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
He originally made arrangements to surrender at police headquarters after he spoke with his lawyer at 9 a.m. but failed to appear. Brooks had told police he was trying to get an attorney and would turn himself in after he secured one, Dyer said.
The three men who were shot were all acquaintances of Brooks who lived in the same apartment complex, police said.
The Fresno County Coroner's Office identified the dead man as Brant Daniels, 19, who had moved from the Los Angeles area to attend Fresno State but was not a current student. The wounded men, ages 19 and 22, were treated for gunshot wounds. One was a current student and the other was planning to enroll, police said. It was unclear what happened to the fourth man.
Six different apartments were cordoned off Tuesday as police examined evidence in a hallway at the poolside complex.
A man with a bloody bandage on his left shoulder who described himself as one of the victims told The Associated Press the dispute started when he and the other victims accused the gunman of stealing a Playstation video game console and game.
"The guy who shot us — he had stolen from our apartment. We went to confront him with the evidence and it just turned ugly from there. He pulled a gun out on us," said Drew Pfeiff, 22, a junior from Raleigh, N.C.
Brooks fired five or six times, grazing Pfeiff, he said.
"People don't deserve to die for stupid stuff like this," Pfeiff said.
Fresno State freshman Meosha Chase, 19, said she was Brooks' ex-girlfriend and described him as a "fine, normal, goofy, silly" teen who wanted to be a parole officer.
Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated to the campus cafeteria. The campus, which has about 20,000 students, remained open, said Tom Uribe, a university spokesman.
"We were assured by the police that the campus was safe and we're waiting to hear more," he said. "We may have to re-evaluate but this is all developing quickly."
The university sent a notice to students, faculty and staff Tuesday morning and posted an alert for them on the school's Web site.
Police initially believed the suspect was still in the apartment complex, but they expanded the search after determining he had slipped away. The complex is across a street from the California State University, Fresno, stadium, but the university remained open.
"This is not another Virginia Tech," police spokesman Jeff Cardinale said. "This is simply a dispute between one person and a group of individuals."
The suspect began shooting during a confrontation with four men over a Playstation game console late Monday, Cardinale said.
Cardinale identified the suspect as Jonquel Brooks, 19, of Hayward, who was majoring in criminology. Brooks' parents were helping authorities, who were communicating with Brooks by cell phone to negotiating a surrender, said Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
He originally made arrangements to surrender at police headquarters after he spoke with his lawyer at 9 a.m. but failed to appear. Brooks had told police he was trying to get an attorney and would turn himself in after he secured one, Dyer said.
The three men who were shot were all acquaintances of Brooks who lived in the same apartment complex, police said.
The Fresno County Coroner's Office identified the dead man as Brant Daniels, 19, who had moved from the Los Angeles area to attend Fresno State but was not a current student. The wounded men, ages 19 and 22, were treated for gunshot wounds. One was a current student and the other was planning to enroll, police said. It was unclear what happened to the fourth man.
Six different apartments were cordoned off Tuesday as police examined evidence in a hallway at the poolside complex.
A man with a bloody bandage on his left shoulder who described himself as one of the victims told The Associated Press the dispute started when he and the other victims accused the gunman of stealing a Playstation video game console and game.
"The guy who shot us — he had stolen from our apartment. We went to confront him with the evidence and it just turned ugly from there. He pulled a gun out on us," said Drew Pfeiff, 22, a junior from Raleigh, N.C.
Brooks fired five or six times, grazing Pfeiff, he said.
"People don't deserve to die for stupid stuff like this," Pfeiff said.
Fresno State freshman Meosha Chase, 19, said she was Brooks' ex-girlfriend and described him as a "fine, normal, goofy, silly" teen who wanted to be a parole officer.
Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated to the campus cafeteria. The campus, which has about 20,000 students, remained open, said Tom Uribe, a university spokesman.
"We were assured by the police that the campus was safe and we're waiting to hear more," he said. "We may have to re-evaluate but this is all developing quickly."
The university sent a notice to students, faculty and staff Tuesday morning and posted an alert for them on the school's Web site.
