College campus safety questioned

Storrs (WTNH) - The death of a UConn student marks the third college student killed on a Connecticut campus in less than a year. But could those homicides been prevented?

In 2007, college campuses across Connecticut re-evaluated their security in the wake of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. They created text message warning systems, campus lockdown procedures and more security cameras. But none of that prevented the three campus killings in the past six months.

On May 6, gunshots rang out at the campus bookstore at Wesleyan University, killing 21-year old Johanna Justin-Jinich. Text messages went out and the campus went into lockdown while authorities searched for the killer. The next day, 29-year old Stephen Morgan turned himself in to police.

"From all reports, it was a stalking incident, I mean, we have to let the court case play out but that seems to be exactly what it was just; it was horrible and it was tragic," said David Pesci, Wesleyan University.

Just as horrible was the death of 24-year old Yale graduate student Annie Le. She was a brilliant scientist who disappeared just days before she was supposed to be married. Her body was found a few days later hidden in the Yale research building where she worked. A lab technician, Ray Clark, who worked in the building alongside Le was arrested for her murder.

"It's not about university crime. It's not about domestic crime, but an issue of workplace violence," said Chief James Lewis, New Haven Police Department.

Jasper Howard came to Connecticut to escape violence in his hometown of Miami and to play football for UConn. We're still learning what led to the stabbing that killed him Saturday night, but UConn Police say there were uniformed officers and security guards patting down guests at the dance at the Student Union. But then someone pulled the fire alarm and everyone had to leave the security of the building and go outside. That's where Howard and another student were stabbed. Howard later died.

Maybe the biggest difference between these killings and incidents like Virginia Tech and Columbine is the fact that none of the suspects so far have been students. After Virginia Tech, colleges made it a priority to look for students with emotional problems to try to prevent campus violence. That was not going to save the lives of Johanna Justin-Jinich or Annie Le.