PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three Wilmington residents are charged with second degree murder in connection with last October’s deadly mass shooting at a historically Black university in Chester County.
On Oct. 25, students, faculty and alumni of Lincoln University were celebrating homecoming, when police said gunfire broke out around 9 p.m.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena Sarobe said three people came to campus from Wilmington, Delaware, armed and planning to rob people of their jewelry.
Those three suspects are 20-year-old William Sells, 17-year-old Karon Rollins, and 19-year-old Makaveli Valera. In the aftermath of the shooting, de Barrena-Sarobe said, they gloated.
“They took people’s property, went back with necklaces and chains, and took videos and bragged about it amongst themselves,” said the district attorney, “and they didn’t care that someone else died and they didn’t care that other people got shot.”
Jujuan Jeffers, 20, was killed that night. Five more victims suffered gunshot wounds. Additionally, one of the suspects, Sells, was hit.
Zecqueous Morgan-Thompson was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in the immediate aftermath, but officials said he wasn’t linked to the other three defendants. He has been charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
The three murder suspects are being held in Delaware as they await extradition to Chester County. De Barrena-Sarobe said the trio had no ties to Lincoln, but had some level of familiarity with Jeffers.
Officials credited social media posts, messages, videos, and photos with aiding the investigation. While they believe they have everyone they’re looking for, investigators have still urged the public to share any information they may still have.
In a statement, Lincoln University said it has taken steps to strengthen its safety and emergency response protocols.
“This remains a deeply painful moment for our Lincoln University community,” said Lincoln President Brenda A. Allen. “Our focus continues to be on supporting those impacted, ensuring the safety of our campus, and working in partnership with law enforcement as the legal process moves forward.”
Jujuan Jeffers, 20, was killed while 6 others, including a suspect, were wounded
Jujuan Jeffers, 20, was killed while 6 others, including a suspect, were wounded
