4 AZ Students Shot, 1 Killed, in Campus Fight
Police say Steven Jones, 18, pulled out a handgun and shot up a parking lot fight between students. As one victim died in a friend’s arms, he reportedly fired again.
One student was killed and three others were wounded during a shooting near the Delta Chi fraternity at Northern Arizona University early Friday morning. Early reports indicate that the incident was a fight between students on the Flagstaff campus. Police Chief G.T. Fowler said there was a confrontation between frat members.
The deceased student has been identified as Colin Brough. Nicholas Prato, Kyle Zientek, and Nicholas Piring were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Their condition is not yet known.
Brough’s LinkedIn page identifies him as a member of the class of 2017. A description written in his freshman year says his major was business marketing. “I am associate member of the Delta Chi fraternity, and a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society,” he wrote.
“Friends, my nephew was a casualty in the shooting at NAU,” Prato’s aunt wrote on Facebook, adding that the student was shot in the neck. “Sadly, his best friend was killed in front of him. The shooter is in custody. Please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Stay strong, Nick.”
According to an update posted by the aunt, Prato’s girlfriend was also present during the shooting. She said the girl’s father told her that Prato held Brough as he died, and then was shot. The girl reportedly escaped being shot by running, and the update says that she placed the 911 call.
“Still in a bit of shock right now,” a man who identified himself as Zientek’s stepbrother wrote on Facebook. “He is a strong kid and will overcome this devastating situation.”
Piring is also a junior at the university. His LinkedIn page says he got a full-tuition scholarship, and attends the school’s W.A. Franke College of Business.
The shooter, identified by campus police as Steven Jones, 18, is in custody. The incident was quickly ended, but it was not known if students subdued the freshman before police arrived. The students who were hospitalized had what Fowler described as multiple gunshot wounds.
Delta Chi confirmed that some of its members were involved in the shooting in a statement Friday morning. “We do not have any information on the victims nor do we know if the deceased individual is a member of the fraternity,” the statement read. “At this time, we can confirm that this incident had no ties to the chapter.” It is not immediately clear whether Jones was a member of the fraternity.
An Instagram post from an account purportedly belonging to Jones shows him posing with guns. Arizona is a concealed-carry state, but applicants for permits are required to be 21 years old. The Northern Arizona campus also requires separate permission for weapons on campus.