Shooting at ISU raises fraternity security problem
November 1, 1993
A shooting outside a fraternity dance at Illinois State University in Normal this weekend has put the fire to the toes of the fraternity’s local chapter at NIU to establish security guidelines for dances.
A gunman opened fire outside a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity dance early Saturday at the Bowling and Billiards Center at ISU, critically injuring one person and wounding two others.
Natasha Carter of Lynwood was hit in the eye by a bullet and placed in BroMenn Regional Medical Center. Carter had surgery Sunday morning and was still in the hospital. Charles Young, a member of the fraternity, was shot in the arm, and Kenneth Young was grazed on the ear by a bullet. Both men were treated and released.
ISU Police were searching for the gunman Saturday, but were not able to comment on the incident Sunday. Police did arrest Robert Modiest, 26, Summit, and charged him with possession of a firearm on state-supported property for firing several shots at the fleeing assailants.
According to ISU’s student newspaper, The Daily Vidette, police did pick up an unidentified suspect whose car matched the description of the car seen fleeing the scene of the incident. The Vidette had not yet heard Sunday whether the suspect was connected to the incident or not.
David Mitchell, president of the NIU chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, said to his knowledge no one from his fraternity attended the dance. But the incident still hits home.
“We were working on plans to limit the amount of people at dances and check IDs,” he said. “It (the guidelines) definitely will be stricter. The faster, the better—you just can’t do it (establish guidelines) overnight.”
Mitchell found out about the incident on the news and was shocked. “It’s just sad that something like that happened,” he said. “It’s just one of those things.”
He said the guidelines established by his fraternity could be used as an outline for other fraternities to follow. “Brothers throughout the whole state are welcome to use them. We’ll share with anyone,” he said.
In Mitchell’s opinion, most of the disturbances at dances at universities are caused by non-students attending the dances, and this problem seems to be a developing trend.
Reports state the ISU incident evolved when three men walked up to the door of the dance and wanted to get in without paying. Also, about 300 people attended the dance, many of whom were from other fraternity chapters and other towns.
Because of the incident, a dance scheduled at the ISU center Saturday night was canceled.
According to an article in the Vidette, media previously expressed concern that the Playboy Bunny logo on the sign in front of the ISU fraternity’s house was a gang symbol. Police looked into the suspicions but found nothing to confirm them.
The Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity chapter at NIU has had its share of disturbances at dances as well.
An outbreak at an Oct. 16 dance at the Chick Evans Field House resulted in two injuries. University Police were called to the dance twice for crowd control and once to respond to a fight.
The Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at NIU had its Homecoming dance suspended because of an alleged fight that occurred at a dance in the Holmes Student Center Oct. 1. The fight allegedly occurred between members of two fraternities.