UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
TUESDAY LETTERS Students ,, .. PARKING FINES UCO earns $220,000...
NOVEMBER 24, 1998 BAHA'I FAITH Persecutions in Iran 12
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REVIEW The Wizard of Oz ....... ....13
FOOTBALL Bronchos victorious..........8
AROUND CAMPUS See what's happening... 14
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The Student Voice Since 1903
Rapist, alleged dorm shooter out on bond By Stephanie Eggeling
Managing Mot
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blue cloth "Crown Royal" bag containing a substance believed to be crack cocaine and an electronic scale were found in an East Hall bathroom near the gun used in last week's dormitory shooting according to UCO Department of Public Safety. UCO Senior Millard Z. Bowie has been formerly charged in connection with the Nov. 14 shooting. He is accused of trying to murder his roommate Lonnell Campbell. "He has been charged with two counts. Count one is shooting with intent to kill. Count two is possession of a firearm after a felony conviction," said Ray Elliott, chief of the Oklahoma County District Attorney's criminal division. Documents obtained from university police and The Sunday Oklahoman show that Bowie was convicted of statutory rape in November 1994 in Tennessee. Bond was set at $24,000. Bowie was freed on bond Nov. 18. He is currently awaiting arraignment. According to university police documents, Bowie and Campbell were in Room 111 of East Hall with two female guests when the incident occurred. Bowie and Campbell began arguing over video tape selections, documents show. The argument escalated into a scuffle and became violent when Bowie produced a gun. One of the women told university police that Bowie had shown her a gun earlier in the evening and said he intended to shoot Campbell. University police found one bullet hole in the room and one in a hallway outside the room. A .38-caliber revolver, with two spent rounds in the cylinder, was found in a bathroom trash can, reports show. "This was a person who shouldn't have been in the dorms in the first place. He had no respect for rules," said Bill Wiseman, director of University Relations. "The university has strict rules on alcohol and drugs and they are complied with very well. Anytime they are not, appropriate action is taken," he said. Wiseman said that Bowie's action served as a warning and that the university will begin scrutinizing housing applications. UCO President Roger Webb said that the incident was an isolated event. "Anytime an unforeseen and unpredictable event occurs, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the status of the security of the campus," Webb said. "We are currently doing a complete assessment of
• See SHOOTING, Page 6
Broncho spirit...
Top: Students gather around a bon fire as part of Friday night's pep rally. Above: UCO cheerleaders keep the crowd pumped during Saturday's football game. (Staff photos by Lacy Amen) Right: Balloons are released as the Bronchos take the field for Saturday's playoff game. (Staff photo by Steven E. Wedel)
University to counsel students about residence hall violence By Madhumathi Krishnamurthy
Staffeiriter
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CO conducted a meeting last week to gauge student reactions to the Nov. 14 East Hall shooting, and to address the issue of campus
safety. Resident assistants (RA), with the help of UCO Counseling Services, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and other UCO employees, talked to dorm students about dealing with their emotions after the event. "This is the first time in the history of these halls that we have had a shooting," said Barry Lofton, director of Multicultural Student Services. "We don't want this to affect the students school, studies and everyday lives," Lofton said. Among the issues discussed in the meeting was the aspect of campus safety and security. "This is a safe campus. We want to be open about what
happened, and we want to talk about this," Lofton said. The DPS assured students that campus police walk in and out of the dorm buildings regularly. During the shooting they had the assailant in custody within five minutes of the first shot. "Students should let us know what's going on. If you think that something is going to adversely affect you, then we need to know," said Ted Jones, DPS assistant chief. Jones mentioned that the shooter had threatened to kill his roommate earlier in the day. "If we had been informed early on, we could have prevented what happened that night," Jones said. The University could apply an interim suspension to any student who has impacted the campus safety and endangered the lives of other people, said Todd Duncan, director of Residence Life.
• See VIOLENCE, Page 3
