What is/are the Divine Nine?
@gnocchiB The Divine Nine are the nine historically black Greek organizations in the NPHC.
@wakedad111 is correct to say that more security should have been there. But these are all “what if” observations. WSSU has had troubles in the past, so has Wake. Perpetually not as violent, sure, but what college campus doesn’t have some sort of dirt on them when googled?
As I said before, the police was indeed retracted after complaints from the African American community on campus. Hopefully admin sees that this was a problem and a dialogue will be opened so that there is a mutual understanding between both the policing force and the students. We can’t have it both ways, and a majority of the black population that is affected understands that. I agree that letting security be as low as it was was a bad move, but racially profiling the students and harrassing them wasn’t all that great either.
An update from the WS Journal:
Prosecutor: Teen charged in connection with WSSU student’s shooting death held WFU crowd at bay
The 16-year-old charged in connection with the shooting death last weekend of a Winston-Salem State University student used a gun to hold bystanders at bay while another man shot and killed 21-year-old Najee Ali Baker, prosecutors said Friday…
…“He is literally a menace to society,” [DA] O’Neill said. “He is consistently in trouble. He keeps the Winston-Salem Police Department jumping because he can’t seem to put guns down.”
At the time of Baker’s death, Smith was free on $7,500 bond set for two previous arrests since June 2017.
A fight broke out inside and party-goers spilled outdoors. Smith was seen by a witness who was not at the party, O’Neill said, going to a car to retrieve a gun.
“He goes back to where the victim was,” O’Neill said. “A shot was fired and this defendant was seen running back to the car followed by (Jakier Shanique) Austin, who was wearing a red sweatshirt and red shoes, and they left campus…”
…“This defendant was seen by a Winston-Salem State football player who was with Najee,” O’Neill said. “He pulled his gun, sort of keeping the crowd and friends of Najee Baker at bay while (Austin) fired a shot at Baker. … this defendant pointed a gun at the crowd while a murder was taking place…”
… In June 2017, Smith was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a stolen firearm. His bond was set at $20,000 but later reduced to $7,500, said Josh Simmons, Smith’s defense lawyer.
Smith was arrested again in October and charged with felony possession of heroin, possession with intent to sell and deliver narcotics, maintaining a dwelling for the purposes of selling narcotics and another gun possession charge…
One week after the murder, lots of questions remain:
- How many, if any, campus police officers were stationed inside the Barn during the party?
- If one or more officers were there, were they armed or just one of the unarmed, security-guard officers who are part of the campus police force?
- How many, if any, security guards, were stationed at the party? Who hired the guards? Were they from a reputable, professional security firm with experience providing security at an event like this?
4… Who was in ultimately in charge of security policies and procedures at this event? How much authority was granted to student organizers of the event to arrange security?
- Were there any Winston-Salem City Police stationed at or near the party? If any, how many were there, where were they stationed and during what period of time were they stationed at or near the party?
- What policies and procedures were in place and were used or not used to control entry to the Barn?
- Why did it take an hour to launch the WFU emergency notification system after the murder occurred?
- What policies and procedures governing Barn events will be changed to avoid future, serious security failures like this one?
@CarriesBakers it makes me sad that you have have to say you deserve to be there of course you do!!
@CarriesBakers @lbf. I agree. That’s insane that someone has to actually say that African American students have a place at any university. What year is this?
@wakedad2018 Can we just wait for the investigation to be finalized? Why are you so crazed about how Wake handled this? It was a party for crying out loud. A horrible tragedy happened as can happen to us at any time on any day, anywhere! Enough already! You never answered my prior question as to why these are your first posts. Who are you and why are you obsessed with taking down Wake? It’s very curious to me and I wonder about your motive.
Winston Salem Journal columnist Scott Sexton writes about the arraignment of one of the participants in the murder:
Scott Sexton: Teen charged in connection with murder at Wake Forest University shows no fear in court
1/28/18
Even though he is only 16, Malik Patience Smith was unfazed when he appeared in court Friday morning via closed-circuit TV…
…Because of where the incident took place — on campus at Wake Forest University — and the fact that the victim was a college student, overriding public safety concerns demanded the personal attention of the guy in the corner office [the head district attorney] as well as the presence of the commander of the Winston-Salem Police Department’s criminal investigative division and the lead detective working the case for a bond hearing.
“When parents send their kids to college here in Winston-Salem, to Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State and the (UNC) School of the Arts, they expect their kids to be safe,” O’Neill said Friday in that bond hearing. “The same is true for Mr. Baker’s family…”
“…This defendant was seen by a Winston-Salem State football player who was with Najee,” O’Neill said Friday, referring to Smith. “He pulled his gun, sort of keeping the crowd and friends of Najee Baker at bay while (Austin) fired a shot at Baker. … This defendant pointed a gun at the crowd while a murder was taking place.”
…A 16-year-old, charged twice before with weapons and drug charges, allegedly thought nothing of pulling a gun to keep a crowd back while another guy shot to death a 21-year-old college football player at a college party.
If that doesn’t scare the daylights out of you, nothing will…
…He has been charged with gun crimes before, and while out on bond for one, he got popped for another and for good measure, charges related to trafficking in heroin…
I am still more inclined to agree with wakedad2018 although I believe the Reynolda campus is safe. The school’s attempts to do something nice for the underrepresented students by turning the Barn over to them has been tragic & short sighted wishful thinking rewarded by violent fistfights in the past & now, when the fight goes wrong, a murder. The school lacks the courage & common sense to provide adequate police for fear of being called bigots & racists. To call the sorority which sponsored & planned this fiasco Divine, is profane.
Investigation must be made & at the very least discipline imposed, be it suspension or worse.
The Forsyth DA said in court the 16 year got a gun & held others at bay while the murder occurred —preventing help or aid to the victim. Thus, certainly accessory before the fact, maybe felony murder & kidnap by restraining others with his pistol.
And this on the Wake Forest campus. The opportunity has passed to benefit what Hatch calls the underrepresented. They chafe at police protection --call it discrimination.
I have a friend who has a close relative who works at Wake.
My friend knew all about the Barn, the one police officer, the private security hired, without me telling him. He said that the Barn was used by what Hatch calls the underrepresented during the school year—it is free to use–& that the African American community had complained about the police resulting in only one Wake officer. This has been going on for years. Apparently the non-underrepresented students don’t use it.
Will Wake have the courage to close the Barn & reduce its liability in the future? My friend says no–they don’t have the guts, but he referred to another part of the male anatomy.
Wake discipline the sorority? He says no, —,same reason.
If the Barn ever reopens will it be adequately staffed with police & have no wssu players or students? He says no even though an article in the WS Journal documented violence & death on their campus involving their students & former students .Same reason he said, -Wake welcomes murder over being seen as anti African American or discriminatory.
He said they can take the murders but not being called racists.
He predicted there would be no change until the President & admistration grow a pair. Which he said would be never. If he is right, children when you come Wake remember to pack your own body bag.
And now we have the dreaded “I have a friend, who knows a cousin of another friend who says…” post. Aren’t you the one who was posting about there being no security at all at the Barn that night, the body being moved etc. Perhaps you should have asked your “friend” before posting your previous comments.
The current facts: the investigation is continuing, the alleged shooter appears to have left the State or is at least being protected by friends or family. The police are continuing their hunt and will eventually find him and bring him to justice. I’ll let the newspaper articles about the arraignment of the co-conspirator speak for themselves. It’s evident that these are hardened criminals who have no qualms about hurting others to achieve their ends. How they got on campus or invited to the party is all part of the investigation and the appropriate measures will be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
We can all agree that this was a disturbing and tragic event. I have faith in the University that the appropriate steps will be taken to protect the campus once all of the facts are known and the failures (if any) have been identified. Closing the Barn or restricting its usage to the “non-underrepresented students” is ludicrous. As @CarriesBakers already mentioned, the activities for the Divine Nine have already been restricted for the rest of the semester. I personally find that decision troubling.
I also find the racist undertones to some of these posts both disturbing and disgusting. I wonder if there would be as much outrage if this were a white kid shot and killed by another white kid. It was a murder of one human being by another, plain and simple.
This will be my last post on this topic. I think this thread has run its course and should be locked and perhaps deleted.
@WakeDad I completely agree… Moderator, can you please lock this thread. Delete if possible. Questionable motives and false allegations are all over this. Very disturbing!
@Wakedad I agree I feel like this thread has gone down a rabbit hole and has run its course. As a Wake Forest parent I will keep track the investigation on my own.