The Kirkland House Shooting

JOHN HARVard’s JOURNAL On May 18, Jus- pus; the prosector linked the suspects to two undergraduates, The Kirkland tin Cosby, a 21- Brittany Smith ’09, of Lowell House, a friend of Copney, and to year-old Cam- Chanequa Campbell ’09, of Kirkland House, Smith’s friend. Both House Shooting bridge resident, were reportedly denied permission to graduate, and ordered was shot in the off campus. basement of Kirkland House J entry; he died the following day University and College officials have declined any detailed (see Brevia, July-August, page 58). comment on the matter—the normal practice when students Jabrai J. Copney, age 20, of New York City, turned himself in to are involved in any kind of disciplinary proceeding, and all the Cambridge police on May 21, and was charged with murder a more so when a criminal investigation is underway. A May 22 e- day later. He was arraigned on July 22 on five charges. A second mail to the community from College dean Evelynn M. Hammonds man, Blayn Jiggets, age 19, was arrested in New York on June observed that “The Middlesex County District Attorney made 9, and remained there in July, awaiting extradition proceedings; clear…that drugs were at the center of the events that brought he was indicted on July 30 for murder. A third suspect, Jason Justin Cosby together with his assailants,” without making any Aquino, 23, of Manhattan, was arrested on July 30 and scheduled link to sales to students. She noted her intention to “work with to be arraigned the next day. student leaders and others to address the nature and risks of il- The Middlesex district attorney indicated in statements and licit drug use on campus” and “to underscore the importance of in the filing for Copney’s arraignment that Cosby was involved safety and security practices for the entire College community.” in selling marijuana, and that Copney and Jiggets were on the As of early August, when this issue went to press, there had scene (inside a locked, gated undergraduate residence) because been no further official word. Legal proceedings aside, the Col- they intended to rob him. lege would seem to have an urgent need to reinforce the prop- However the case ultimately unfolds, Harvard is involved er use of IDs and gated entries—and to teach in vivid terms beyond its role as the venue for the shooting. The Crimson re- about the possibly deadly consequences of casual use of illegal ported text messages linking Copney to drug sales on cam- controlled substances. dent by saying that he did not know all ated after the fact. The 911 call was placed and at work. In fact, the transcript of the the facts, but that the Cambridge police by a Harvard Magazine employee who 911 call, released on July 27, made clear that had acted “stupidly” in arresting Gates had been out walking at lunchtime (the she had never invoked race and that she after he had demonstrated he was in his magazine’s office is also on Ware Street). had even raised the possibility that the own home. The ensuing uproar led to re- The police report on the incident, which suspected intruders were simply having tractions, clarifications, and ultimately a became public, inexplicably did not ini- trouble with the house key. White House “beer summit” on July 30, at tially redact her name or other identify- Although many questions about the which Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, ing information (the usual practice)— whole incident—as refracted through the Crowley, and Gates talked things over. including her phone number. Because the media and national sensitivities (and bi- (America’s humorists weighed in: Andy police report seemed to indicate that she ases) about race—remain unresolved, this Borowitz ’80 had Obama proclaiming had described the suspects in the incident one is put to rest: it began with a proper, “Drink a Beer with Someone Who Ar- by their race, she was subjected to a bar- Good Samaritan call to the police, moti- rested You Day.” The Onion had Crowley rage of threatening calls and e-mails and vated by a desire to avert a possible crime accidentally arresting Gates again as he relentless news-media attention at home or personal injury. “observed an unidentified black male sit- ting near Mr. Obama…” in the Oval Office. Editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich had Gates and Crowley shouting at each oth- Systems Biological ment of systems biology and previously of er across Obama’s desk: “Tastes Great!!!” the department of cell biology, becomes “Less Filling!!!”) and Quantitative Enders University Professor, succeed- If the exchanges did little to advance Gary king, Florence professor of govern- ing Nobel laureate David Hubel, now any hoped-for national dialogue on race, ment, and Marc W. Kirschner, Walter pro- emeritus. (For background on Kirschner’s they did bring out more facts. Crowley fessor of systems biology, have been named work, refer to “Seeing Biological Systems was identified by colleagues as an exem- University Professors, Harvard’s most dis- Whole,” March-April 2005, page 67, and plary officer previously tasked with teach- tinguished faculty position. King, founder the review of his recent book on the mech- ing other policemen how to avoid racial and director of the Institute for Quan- anisms of evolution, November-December profiling in performing their duties—and titative Social Science (www.iq.harvard. 2005, page 22.) a black officer at the scene of the arrest edu, and see “Putting the Science in Social University Professorships, created in gave his full support to Crowley’s han- Sciences,” September-October 2001, page 1935, are intended to recognize especially dling of the incident. 71), becomes the Weatherhead University distinguished faculty members whose re- Finally, a bystander who was peripher- Professor, succeeding the late Samuel P. search crosses the conventional boundar- ally involved, but who suffered collateral Huntington. Kirschner, founding chair of ies of departments and disciplines. There damage from the uproar, was fully exoner- Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) depart- are now 22 such professorships. 52 September - October 2009 Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746.

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