By Michael Kennedy
Early last Wednesday morning, the plan was to stop by Unitas Tower on the University of Louisville campus, pick up a friend and head to a local IHOP to celebrate a birthday. At 3:15 a.m. the plan changed.
Ryne, a freshman culinary major at Jefferson Community College, who asked his last name not be used, had just picked up Justin a freshman marketing major at U of L, and were backing out of the loading zone. Just as he put the silver Ford Focus into drive, “a guy came around [the corner of the college of education and human development building] with a gun, and as soon as we saw him, he picked it up, turned it sideways and faced it at us, and walked toward my car,” said Ryne.
The man fired his weapon, hitting the side of the car.
“[Justin] said ‘F it, go!’ and I just slammed on the gas,” Ryne said.
They sped off turning onto Cardinal Blvd. and then S Brook Street.
“[The shooter] hesitated. If he hadn’t hesitated, I’d have been dead – or shot, or something,” Ryne said. “I don’t think he was trying to kill us.”
Fortunately the only injury reported was the bullet hole left in the victim’s vehicle.
“The cops said that usually gangs hold [their guns] sideways,” Ryne said, which only added to his fear.
Within a few hours, a campus safety alert was sent out to students enrolled for the “U of L Alert” text messaging system, an e-mail sent out to all university e-mail addresses and a message to all campus VoIP phones reading simply “Shooting on Belknap campus.”
Keyinna Dozier, a freshman undecided major and fellow resident of Unitas Tower, said she was happy to be notified of the incident in a timely manner. “I feel [DPS] did all they could do,” she said.
Ryne said according to DPS, a 9 mm casing was found next to the Emergency Call Button, by the education building.
Department of Public Safety major Kenny Brown points out the unusual nature of this incident: “I’ve been here four-and-a-half years and I can never remember shots being fired on campus. We have a major who’s been here 14 years, and he can’t remember [shots being fired on campus.] So it’s a rare occurrence. We’re doing our best to make sure it stays very rare.”
Brown said DPS is continuing with their investigation, following up on leads they have received and are beefing up patrols in and around the area.
However, not all students are surprised by the shooting. Anna Villereal, a freshman fine arts major and Unitas Tower resident, heard the gunshot through an open window.
“I thought a car backfired,” she said. “It really wasn’t all that shocking, because I have heard of my friends getting their cars broken into before.”
Ryne said he believes the shooter ran into campus, since the Unitas Tower security guard did not see anyone run toward Cardinal Blvd., and there’s a large drop-off next to Unitas Tower.
Ryne said the bullet hole will cost $1,441 to repair, and he damaged his suspension speeding away.
After talking to the police for hours, they finally made it to IHOP at about 9 a.m. for the birthday breakfast.
The shooter is described as a black male, around 6 feet tall. He was wearing a white bandana over most of his face, and had a red toboggan on. DPS is investigating the shooting, and anyone with information is encouraged to call detective John Tarter at 852-3614.
