JR2004
09-17-2007, 12:57 AM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/arlington/stories/DN-arlshoot_16met.ART.North.Edition1.41f6d89.html
<<Party shooting kills 1, injures 3
Arlington: Football player dies when gunmen open fire on crowded backyard celebration
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, September 16, 2007
By TIARA ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
tellis@dallasnews.com
ARLINGTON – Senior wide receiver Quintarick Wilson was sidelined with a broken wrist. But that didn't stop him from attending every football practice and cheering on his Sam Houston High School teammates at Friday night's homecoming game.
Sam Houston football player Eric Furgeson keeps vigil outside the home where Quintarick Wilson was shot. A gunshot to the chest, however, did stop him just hours after that game. Quintarick, or Quin as friends and family called him, died early Saturday morning after he was shot at a teammate's party, said Arlington police spokesman Blake Miller.
Three of Quin's Sam Houston classmates also were shot at the party in East Arlington, but their injuries weren't life-threatening.
Friends grieved Saturday outside the home where a party became deadly overnight in East Arlington. Quin and Alonzo Brown Jr. have played football together since the ninth grade, Alonzo said.
"He was the type of dude to get you motivated," Alonzo said Saturday afternoon at his house, where the party took place.
"He was always talking and joking.
"The last time I saw him," he said, "there was blood everywhere."
For Alonzo's 18th birthday, his parents agreed to have a combination homecoming and birthday party at their home in the 3000 block of Prairie Hill Lane. Friday night's party didn't start until after 11 p.m. because of the football game, said Linda Brown, Alonzo's mother.
The party quickly got crowded with between 60 and 100 people in the back yard and mingling outside the Browns' one-story brick house, Mrs. Brown said.
Then a green Ford Explorer pulled up. Six young men got out, and right away some of the partygoers knew there would be trouble, Mrs. Brown said.
"One girl was saying 'Y'all don't come around here. We don't want no trouble,' " Mrs. Brown said some of the kids told her.
Alonzo said that when he saw the six people get out of the car, he started to walk toward them but saw one of the young men pull out a gun and walk through the gate into the back yard.
"I saw a gun come out, and I ducked and ran," Alonzo said. "I heard about six shots – pow, pow, pow, pow."
Everyone scattered. People were jumping over the wooden fence in the back yard. Someone broke a hole in the fence in their hurry.
Quin died about 12:32 a.m. Saturday, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's Web site. An ambulance took him to Medical Center of Arlington.
Arlington police had not released the names of the three other shooting victims, who police said were taken to a Dallas hospital. Mrs. Brown said that two of the injured victims played on the Sam Houston football team with her son and Quin and that the third victim also attends the school.
The six young men were not invited to the party, police said.
Police continued to investigate the shootings and spent Saturday following leads on potential suspects, Lt. Miller said. They were looking at the possibility of gang involvement.
Sam Houston head football coach George McFarland described Quin as a hard-working kid who also played basketball at the school. He was one of those players who encouraged his teammates and did whatever his coaches told him to do on the football field, Mr. McFarland said.
"He broke his wrist last week during the off-week in practice," Mr. McFarland said. "He was looking at four weeks in a cast. But he was there at every practice and cheering on the sideline last night."
"Quin would be the type of kid you would want to call your own," the coach said.
Mr. McFarland and his coaching staff normally show up at the school on Saturdays to talk about the previous night's game. He had planned on talking about their loss the night before. After hearing about the shootings, he included the entire team in the meeting so everyone could "reflect and grieve," Mr. McFarland said.
"We made sure everybody hugged everybody before they left that locker room," Mr. McFarland said. "We felt the kids needed that. I know the coaches needed that."
Even with that support, Mr. McFarland said that when the students return to school Monday and Quin isn't there, "it'll be a new challenge."
School officials said crisis counselors would be available when classes resume Monday.>>
So darn sad to see this. The kids were just enjoying a birthday party/homecoming celebration. Just another senseless killing of a good young man by some completely worthless human beings.
<<Party shooting kills 1, injures 3
Arlington: Football player dies when gunmen open fire on crowded backyard celebration
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, September 16, 2007
By TIARA ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
tellis@dallasnews.com
ARLINGTON – Senior wide receiver Quintarick Wilson was sidelined with a broken wrist. But that didn't stop him from attending every football practice and cheering on his Sam Houston High School teammates at Friday night's homecoming game.
Sam Houston football player Eric Furgeson keeps vigil outside the home where Quintarick Wilson was shot. A gunshot to the chest, however, did stop him just hours after that game. Quintarick, or Quin as friends and family called him, died early Saturday morning after he was shot at a teammate's party, said Arlington police spokesman Blake Miller.
Three of Quin's Sam Houston classmates also were shot at the party in East Arlington, but their injuries weren't life-threatening.
Friends grieved Saturday outside the home where a party became deadly overnight in East Arlington. Quin and Alonzo Brown Jr. have played football together since the ninth grade, Alonzo said.
"He was the type of dude to get you motivated," Alonzo said Saturday afternoon at his house, where the party took place.
"He was always talking and joking.
"The last time I saw him," he said, "there was blood everywhere."
For Alonzo's 18th birthday, his parents agreed to have a combination homecoming and birthday party at their home in the 3000 block of Prairie Hill Lane. Friday night's party didn't start until after 11 p.m. because of the football game, said Linda Brown, Alonzo's mother.
The party quickly got crowded with between 60 and 100 people in the back yard and mingling outside the Browns' one-story brick house, Mrs. Brown said.
Then a green Ford Explorer pulled up. Six young men got out, and right away some of the partygoers knew there would be trouble, Mrs. Brown said.
"One girl was saying 'Y'all don't come around here. We don't want no trouble,' " Mrs. Brown said some of the kids told her.
Alonzo said that when he saw the six people get out of the car, he started to walk toward them but saw one of the young men pull out a gun and walk through the gate into the back yard.
"I saw a gun come out, and I ducked and ran," Alonzo said. "I heard about six shots – pow, pow, pow, pow."
Everyone scattered. People were jumping over the wooden fence in the back yard. Someone broke a hole in the fence in their hurry.
Quin died about 12:32 a.m. Saturday, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's Web site. An ambulance took him to Medical Center of Arlington.
Arlington police had not released the names of the three other shooting victims, who police said were taken to a Dallas hospital. Mrs. Brown said that two of the injured victims played on the Sam Houston football team with her son and Quin and that the third victim also attends the school.
The six young men were not invited to the party, police said.
Police continued to investigate the shootings and spent Saturday following leads on potential suspects, Lt. Miller said. They were looking at the possibility of gang involvement.
Sam Houston head football coach George McFarland described Quin as a hard-working kid who also played basketball at the school. He was one of those players who encouraged his teammates and did whatever his coaches told him to do on the football field, Mr. McFarland said.
"He broke his wrist last week during the off-week in practice," Mr. McFarland said. "He was looking at four weeks in a cast. But he was there at every practice and cheering on the sideline last night."
"Quin would be the type of kid you would want to call your own," the coach said.
Mr. McFarland and his coaching staff normally show up at the school on Saturdays to talk about the previous night's game. He had planned on talking about their loss the night before. After hearing about the shootings, he included the entire team in the meeting so everyone could "reflect and grieve," Mr. McFarland said.
"We made sure everybody hugged everybody before they left that locker room," Mr. McFarland said. "We felt the kids needed that. I know the coaches needed that."
Even with that support, Mr. McFarland said that when the students return to school Monday and Quin isn't there, "it'll be a new challenge."
School officials said crisis counselors would be available when classes resume Monday.>>
So darn sad to see this. The kids were just enjoying a birthday party/homecoming celebration. Just another senseless killing of a good young man by some completely worthless human beings.