By Yaasmeen Piper
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Six suspects have been identified in the stabbing on Shawnee Quad Jan. 31. Only three of the six alleged assailants, none of whom are ESU students, are in custody.
According to The Morning Call, Tyrone Richard Wilkins, 28, Shavelle Leroy Mills Jr., 20 and Dyshawn Mack, 23, are all facing charges of aggravated assault.
The group, along with two women, allegedly approached the victim, Shaquwan Davis-Boone, as he was walking from the Mattioli Recreation Center.
They stabbed him once in the torso and again the back before fleeing the scene.
According to Kenneth Long, vice president of administration and finance, university officials had a suspect in mind a short period of time after the incident but had to wait for law enforcement investigations to proceed before arrests could be made.
Davis-Boone is not facing life-threatening injuries. As far as officials know, he was not affiliated with the group. Long states it was simply just a matter of “wrong place, wrong time.”
According to a report from WBRE-TV, many of the accused assailants were alleged members of the “Black P. Stones,” a street gang that originated in Chicago.
This is not the first crime the alleged gang members were involved in. According to the Pocono Record, Mack was involved in a brutal beating of Frankie Lomuscio in 2014.
The article states that Mack, along with a group of around 13 to 15 people, entered a party on Prospect Street a little after 1:45 a.m.
A fight broke out between the new group and the previous party goers.
Lomosica was knocked to the ground and after repeatedly being kicked in the head, he started to have a seizure. He was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital where he spent eight days in a coma.
Mack faced charges of attempted homicide and aggravated assault but was acquitted.
“All three suspects are no strangers to crime in the Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg area,” Long said. “My hope is that the state police will apprehend the [rest of the] suspects.”
Even with three suspects still at large, Long states that the university is doing everything they can to ensure students’ safety and they should not have any additional fears.
“We have confidence in the state police guiding us in the proper direction on how to respond and react to situations like this,” Long said.
Even with the recent events, Long still says that ESU is a safe campus.
“When you compare East Stroudsburg University to other universities across the state, across the country, we are still a very safe campus,” he said. “But recent events have given students some concern. Now, we’re addressing [the incident] with taking action over the next few months.”
Freshman Kaitlyn Bohn said she was happy to hear about the recent arrest.
“I’m glad they identified and arrested the people involved,” she said. “It definitely helps me feel safer on campus.”
However, former student Juvy Orillaza said after the recent spike in violent crimes, she made the right decision when it came to transferring to Penn College in Williamsport, Pa.
“A degree doesn’t matter if you don’t get there first,” she said. “Students should feel safe on their campus, especially since they are going into debt trying to get their education.”
ESU sent students a campus safety update Tuesday morning announcing the arrests.
They also pressed the continuation of frequent patrols from campus and Stroud Regional police.
In addition, ESU hired more police officers, are adding upgrades to their security cameras and blue light emergency boxes. The campus also added additional stops to the Fine Arts building on Normal Street.
“Anyone that may want to consider doing [crime] activities at East Stroudsburg,” said Long, “we’re going to make it very, very uncomfortable to do something illegal or criminal.”
The university is in the process of planning a town hall meeting. They are reaching out to state police, Stroud Regional and other representatives in the area to determine a set date and time. Students will be notified through their school email.
“We are part of the community, fortunately or unfortunately,” Long said. “We are not a gated community. We appreciate the ability for people to come and enjoy the campus environment. But we are determined to make sure it is a safe environment.”
For any questions, comments, or concerns regarding ESU safety, contact campus police at (570) 422-3064. For immediate emergencies, call 9-1-1.
Email Yaasmeen at:
ypiper@live.esu.edu
