Students Shot At Dance Sue Duquesne

PITTSBURGH (CN) - Two students who were shot at Duquesne University's student union have sued the school, claiming it failed to provide security at the Sept. 17, 2006 back-to-school dance, which was open to the general community. The wounded men say the security guard should have frisked the men who arrived at the dance carring concealed weapons, particularly because a woman with the shooters asked the guard if he would frisk them.

Shawn James, a Duquesne, basketball player says the security guard should have frisked the men who arrived at the dance carrying concealed weapons. The men fired 12 shots, which hit five players, including James, in the foot, he says.

James claims that a woman who arrived with the shooters "approached the doorman at the student union and specifically asked the doorman whether any of the men with her would be frisked at the door. Rather than alerting the campus police who were present inside the ballroom about [Duquesne student Brittany] Jones' inquiry, or taking other similar reasonable steps, the doorman simply responded that they would not be frisked and allowed Jones and the armed men to enter the ballroom."

James says the shooters who attended the dance with Jones accosted a group of Duquesne basketball players after they left the dance at 2 a.m., and shot at them because the shooters were "upset that one of the girls in their group was paying attention to James' group of friends."

He claims that "Given Jones' question to the doorman at the student union ballroom as to whether her friends would be frisked, it was reasonable foreseeable that the people accompanying Jones into the dance were planning to commit a crime". He says he suffered permanent damage to his foot.

Kojo Mensah, another member of the hoops team, also sued the school. He was shot in the arm and shoulder.

Both plaintiffs in the separate federal complaints are represented by Teresa Toriseva. Of Wheeling, W. Va.

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