Feb. 27 Shooting

At approximately 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 27, James Earl Matthews (Photo), 33, was shot near the UALR tennis courts on University Drive. Campus police responded within three minutes of the 911 call, and the student was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Police have arrested both the alleged driver of the vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting and the alleged shooter in the incident.

Latest Information

Second Arrest Made

On Thursday, April 3, UALR officials received an anonymous tip concerning the location Gerald Pride, Jr., one of the suspects in a shooting that occurred Feb. 27 on the UALR campus. Police have been searching for Pride, believed to be the shooter in the incident, for the past month. UALR police officers and North Little Rock officers went to 605 Scenic Drive in North Little Rock and took Pride into custody without incident. Pride was transported to the University Police Department to be interviewed this afternoon and taken to the Pulaski County Jail.

He has been charged with aggravated robbery and first degree battery.

Chancellor Appoints Panel to Review Crisis Planning: UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson March 20 appointed a six-member task force to bring fresh eyes to campus safety issues.

Anderson announced the appointments at the UALR Board of Visitors meeting. Jane Dickey, vice chair of the Board of Visitors who is a Little Rock attorney at the Rose Law Firm, will chair the Chancellor’s Special Committee on Campus Safety. Other committee members, chosen for their expertise in safety, law enforcement and crisis communication, will include Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas; William C. Temple, FBI Special Agent in Charge for the State of Arkansas; Baptist Health Community Health Director Sandra J. Brown; Rob Ulmer, UALR associate professor of speech communication; and Jeff Walker, UALR professor of criminal justice.

Over the next two months, the panel will be responsible for reviewing UALR’s crisis response plans and capabilities in light of a Feb. 27 campus shooting incident and will offer recommendations for future campus safety initiatives. The committee will also review the University’s general policies and practices for campus security.

“Federal safety reports show that UALR has earned a good grade in safety for many years, but we are going for an A-plus,” Anderson said. “This panel will bring fresh eyes, objectivity, expertise, and much relevant experience to a matter that is of paramount importance to UALR and to me – the safety of our campus community.”

Dickey, an active community leader, was the first chair and is a commissioner of Central Arkansas Water and has served as president and is a member of both Fifty For the Future and the National Association of Bond Lawyers. She was co-founder and first president of Volunteers Organization for Central Arkansas Legal Services and has served as president of The Downtown Partnership.

Thomas has risen through the ranks at the Little Rock Police Department over the past 30 years. After joining the Patrol Division, he has served in burglary and homicide and narcotics units. In 1995, he was promoted to assistant chief of police and became the department’s 36th chief of police in 2005.

Temple brings a variety of investigative and crisis management experience from his 30 years in the FBI. He has served in several FBI Field Offices as well as at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He has served the State of Arkansas on two different tours of duty since 1995. As the Special Agent in Charge for the State of Arkansas, he is responsible for leading the FBI in responding to any school shooting incidents or other crisis events that may occur in the state which fall under the FBI’s investigative jurisdiction.

Brown, who has master’s degrees in public health administration and nursing, is co-chair of the Vision Little Rock Public Safety Work Group and has co-chaired the committee for Today’s Heroes and the Little Rock public safety tax initiative. A member of the Pulaski County Public Safety Task Force, Brown co-chaired the Pulaski County Jail Tax Initiative. She serves on the Alltel Arena Board of Directors and the Mayor’s Commission on Homelessness.

Walker is a noted researcher in criminology and law enforcement, computers in criminal justice, legal issues concerning the police, and gang behavior. An international lecturer on terrorism, Walker serves as the co-director of the Center for the Study of Environmental Criminology, which examines the relationship between neighborhoods and crime, and is a past president of the National Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the Arkansas Criminal Justice Association.

Ulmer is an internationally recognized expert in crisis communication. As one of the first researchers to focus on finding positive results from a crisis, Ulmer developed an approach that is now used throughout the business and health industries as a way to communicate crisis-driven information effectively. The author of three books on crisis communication, he has brought national recognition to UALR for being one of the top 10 programs nationally for research in public relations.

News & Events

Criminal Investigation: Feb. 29, UALR police arrested one of the suspects involved in the Feb. 27 shooting on the campus. With his attorney present, Michael Jones Jr., 21, turned himself in to the UALR Department of Public Safety (DPS). Jones is not the shooter; he is alleged to be the driver of the vehicle seen leaving the scene. UALR police are still working on obtaining a warrant for the shooter. Jones was booked into Pulaski County Jail around 8 p.m. on aggravated robbery and first-degree battery charges. No other information regarding the case will be released from UALR DPS at this time.
All-Campus Meeting: An all-campus meeting was held on Feb. 28 (transcript provided).
Criminal Investigation: Chancellor Joel Anderson issued a statement Feb. 28.
News briefing: A video of the earlier 9 a.m. news conference from The Jack Stephens Center can be viewed below.; Courtesy of KARK Channel 4

Important Phone Numbers

UALR Public Safety: 501.569.3400
UALR Office of Communications (Media): 501.569.8600, 501.837.7397, 501.551.9481, 501.837.8478, 501.339.7022, or 501.569.3178

Resources

Phone Alert Opt-in - UALR students, faculty, and staff have the option to submit as many as six telephone numbers to be called in case of an emergency.

Text Messaging Opt-in - UALR students, faculty, and staff have the option of submitting their information to receive text-messaging notifications.

Crisis Response on Feb. 27 - UALR issued an outline of the University’s crisis response on the day of the shooting.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is one of the safest campuses in the Southern region of the U.S., according to campus crime statistics that are required by law to be compiled and published annually by U.S. colleges and universities.

Campus Safety: Your Right to Know: This manual identifies types of crimes, suggests safety tips, and identifies safety programs and resources.
2007-2008 Campus Safety Summary: An executive summary of UALR’s annual safety report required by the Federal government.

Selected News Coverage

Timeline

At publication time, this timeline for events surrounding the Feb. 27 shooting is considered accurate. As new information arises, we will update this timeline.

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008

Between 2:10 and 2:15 p.m.: UALR student James Earl Matthews, 33, shot near the tennis courts off University Drive on UALR campus.
2:20 p.m.: Passerby makes call to 911.
2:23 p.m.: Sgt. James Heath of the UALR Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports to the crime scene. Shortly thereafter, Chief Brad King and other DPS officers arrive on the scene. Crime scene secured.
2:29 p.m.: Campus Safety alert issued to students and employees, first by phone, then e-mail:; This is an emergency notification, not a test. There was a shooting on the Campus in the area of the Theater. The suspect vehicle was a gold Chevrolet Malibu with accident damage to the right side. Suspects were two African American males no further description or location. All personnel are to stay away from the area of the Campus Theater. Further instructions to follow.
2:30 p.m.: Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) transports victim to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center.
3:16 p.m.: Information posted on ualr.edu website.
3:32 p.m.: DPS issues second alert to students and employees:; Emergency Update: The victim in this case is being treated at a local hospital. The suspects in this case, 2 African American males, one with afro style hair, have departed the area, unknown location at this time. The suspect vehicle description as of now is a cream color to gold midsize Japanese make possibly a Nissan, early to mid 2000’s with right side damage. Current state, the campus is safe and secure with all operations back to normal.
4:45 p.m.: Chancellor Joel Anderson closes UALR campus with third Campus Alert message:; After having reviewed the situation with my leadership team, I have decided to cancel classes tonight. Our concerns today are for the young man and his family and for the safety and sense of security of all members of the UALR community. Although there appears every reason to believe the incident and any threats related to it are over, I believe cancellation of evening classes is appropriate. Classes will resume on schedule tomorrow morning.
Mid-evening: Chancellor Joel Anderson and Vice Chancellor for Student Services Charles Donaldson visit James Matthews’ family at hospital. Matthews’ mother confirms that her son is recovering after surgery.
Throughout the night: Investigation continues under the direction of the UALR Department of Public Safety, with assistance from law enforcement officers who have been placed on alert for an automobile matching the description of the suspects’ vehicle.

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008

7 a.m.: Media interview
9 a.m.: Press briefing
11 a.m.: Campuswide meeting open to students, faculty, and staff (Transcript)

Friday, Feb. 29, 2008

Mid-morning: Warrant for aggravated robbery and first-degree battery issued for the arrest of one of the suspects.

8 p.m.: Michael Jones Jr., the alleged driver of the car seen leaving the scene of the shooting, arrested for aggravated robbery and first-degree battery. Jones is being held in the Pulaski County Jail. UALR’s Department of Public Safety is seeking a warrant for the other suspect involved in the case.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

UALR opens registration for students, faculty, and staff to register up to six numbers for emergency phone alerts.

Friday, March 7, 2008

UALR Police issued a crime alert for Gerald Pride Jr., the second suspect in the case. The text of the alert is attached.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

UALR opens registration for students, faculty, and staff to register their cell phone numbers in BOSS for the campus text messaging system.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Chancellor Joel Anderson appoints six-member task force to examine UALR response to the events of Feb. 27.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Police arrest second suspect in Feb. 27 shooting.

Updated 4.3.2008