Serving James Madison University Since 1922 Rain/Snow 40°/31° Vol. 86, No. 30 chance of precipitation: 60% Thursday, January 21, 2010 APPOMATTOX SHOOTING MEET THE SENATOR* Multitude of Explosive Devices Found at Scene Several of the Eight Shooting Victims Might Be Children By MEGAN REICHART hours from police in the woods near school to talk to the students.” “ is is a horri c tragedy, de nitely contributing writer his home. Police said Speight was a co-own- one of the worst mass killings in Vir- Police were waiting to notify rela- er of the house where the murders ginia, probably since the Virginia Tech Explosive devices were found tives before releasing the names of the occurred. Speight also owned land killing in April of ,” Virginia State Wednesday afternoon at an Appomat- victims, but some media reports are adjacent to the residence. Police said Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller tox crime scene that left eight people indicating that several were children. Speight was “acquainted” with all of said at a news conference Wednesday. dead. Nick Doss, a JMU sophomore and the victims. Neighbors said the farm- Staples said authorities were still Rheanna Martino Christopher Bryan Speight, , alleg- Appomattox native, found out about house was home to a family of four. unsure of the motive for the shootings. Sophomore class vice edly shot the eight victims Wednesday the incident Wednesday afternoon. After arriving on the scene, police Speight has not yet been charged with president, senator and at a house in Appomattox. He was “My cousin who is in the th grade found three victims inside the resi- the murders. chairwoman, Committee wearing a bulletproof vest when he this year at Appomattox County High dence, four outside of the residence “Appomattox would be the last place on Internal Affairs turned himself in to police Tuesday School had classes with some of the and one lying in the road. According to that I would expect something such as morning, according to police. Author- victims of the shootings,” Doss said. the Times-Virginian, the victim in the this to happen,” Doss said. “It’s funny What is your favorite spot ities said he also red at a state police “The school is going two hours late road later died at Lynchburg General because I was just there for Christmas on campus? The Wilson steps. helicopter, rupturing its gas tank and tomorrow and there apparently will Hospital from complications of mul- break, and it seems just out of the blue It’s just so fun when it’s nice out, forcing it to land. Speight hid for be a grief counselor that is coming to tiple gunshot wounds. that this happened.” hanging out with friends. And I also like Carrier. I love Club CAMPUS CRIME Carrier! What is one thing people can not tell just by looking MEET THE MAN at you? I’m from New Jersey. OVERSEEING CONSTRUCTION OF THE Forensics Why SGA? SGA is the fi rst thing I got involved in and it is like a springboard into everything else. I feel like getting involved Help Solve PERFORMING is the most rewarding thing you can do. You can pass someone on a daily basis and you do not realize how incredible people Break-in ARTS are with 17,000 students. You do not realize how interesting and diverse this campus is. Cases CENTER If you could be any PAGE 9 celebrity for a week, who By JOHN SUTTER would you be and why? The Breeze Cameron Diaz. She is bubbly, she’s perky like me and she’s After JMU Police used its forensic always giving back; she’s really evidence department to nd a suspect selfl ess. from a series of April vehicle break-ins, Where can we fi nd you a former Charlottesville resident waits next? Working the SGA table on in jail for a February court case. Student Organization Night on Police arrested Alejandro Dominquez, Jan. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m at Festival. , on Oct. for grand larceny and are holding him without bond. VA POLITICS *A new weekly feature to help get to know your JMU Police has a forensic evidence representative. All following editions can be found department in Anthony-Seeger Hall. in the News section. “An officer responded, and instead of just merely taking a report, CRIME UPDATE he worked the McDonnell Pledges crime scene, took ngerprints and spent the Firearm additional time there that some- times you don’t ‘Commonwealth get at municipal Brandisher departments,” Chief of Police Lee Shifflett Alejandro Dominquez Pleads said. was arrested Oct. 30 Surrounding in Charlottesville for of Opportunity’ By MATT SUTHERLAND counties that grand larceny The Breeze don’t have the technology frequently call JMU’s evi- Speech to Legislature Discusses Jobs and Business, but Not the Budget A Hampton resident was found guilty dence technicians, Shi ett said. Wednesday for brandishing a rearm at “Why not refine our skills some- By JOHN SUTTER Democrats. “I thought his speech three JMU students in September in the where else so when we do need them The Breeze “What he didn’t do, which would be more focused on phasing Stone Gate apart- on campus we’re there and prepared?” was quite surprising, was down government and cutting pro- ment complex. Shit ett said. Members of JMU wonder how grams so we don’t have to increase Russell Mali- According to Lt. Cmdr. of Investi- Virginia’s newest governor, Bob talk about how to deal taxes.” zia, , a member gation Danny Whetzel, a JMU officer McDonnell, will make his ideas with the budget situation. McDonnell named Lt. Gov. of the U.S. Marine responded the night of April to Rock- a reality as he begins his term, Bill Bolling as the chief job cre- Corps, entered ingham Hall to investigate four cars that replacing Tim Kaine. There was no discussion ation officer, or “Jobs Czar,” to a plea bargain had been broken into. During his first speech to the on how he planned focus on growing Virginia’s econ- in Rockingham/ Whetzel said mostly sundry items General Assembly on Monday, omy through job creation. While Harrisonburg were taken from the vehicles, but McDonnell pledged to make a to close that gap.” McDonnell pledges to create jobs, General District several thousand dollars worth of cam- “commonwealth of opportunity” Bob Roberts he is also trying to hold true to his Court. Malizia era equipment was stolen from one in Virginia. political science professor campaign promise of not increas- received a Russell Malizia vehicle. “ e speech focused primarily ing taxes. fine and pleaded guilty All four cars were locked, showed on jobs [and] what the state can “If you pass a bill that raises months unsuper- Wednesday signs of tampering and were JMU-a l- do to improve the economy, but taxes on the hard-working families vised probation iated, police said. the only problem with that part of in Virginia, I will veto it,” McDon- for his actions. It was also reported that JMU Police sent the fingerprints to it is he has very little money to do invest more in the biotechnology nell said during his speech. Malizia was ordered to surrender his gun the Automated Fingerprint Identi ca- that with,” said Bob Roberts, JMU industry. Virginia faces a . billion bud- to the Marine Corps. tion System, or AFIS, and received a political science professor. “I was surprised to hear he was get de cit. On Sept. , the Harrisonburg Police positive identification of Dominquez McDonnell asked the General going to be creating a lot of pro- “What he didn’t do, which was arrested Malizia on three counts of bran- in late June. Assembly to increase funding for grams and providing tax breaks quite surprising, was talk about dishing a rearm, one for each person he AFIS is a national ngerprint identi- the job creation fund, grow the tax for certain groups of people, like how to deal with the budget allegedly pointed the weapon at. Malizia, cation system used by police, military base through business develop- vineyards,” said senior Lauren who is not a JMU student, was visiting a and federal investigators. ment, bring jobs to rural areas and Gilbert, president of JMU College see ADDRESS, page 4 friend at Stone Gate Apartments when the incident occurred. After a resident of see BREAK-INS, page 4 Stone Gate confronted him, Malizia took the weapon from his car door and aimed it at three individuals. BUSINESS IN THE RECESSION 1/21 INSIDE A Downtown Favorite Brews its Last Mug NEWS 3 A bandit on the lam Increased Rent Forces Old Dominion Coff ee Company’s Closing Man who robbed Main St. SunTrust continues to elude By KRISTIN McGREGOR “It’s just really nice to get out off police, threatens Ohio Bank. contributing writer campus and sit outside and creep on “Basically, they ran me people,” Burns said as the three sat out- out of business.” OPINION Sophomore Lauren Gryctko drank her side. “ at’s my favorite part.” 5 Jack Bauer’s return last formosa oolong tea at Old Dominion Midtowne Market on West Water Howard Simmons e long road since Co ee Company and Cafe on Monday, Street also closed Monday. owner, Old Dominion we met him and what as the downtown co ee shop closed its Owner Howard Simmons said he Coffee Company he means to us. doors after two years of serving the Har- made the decision for his coffee shop risonburg community. Jan. LIFE Located on North Main Street, Old Simmons said that for its size, the rent 9 Constructing art Dominion served as a popular place for was “one of the highest rent spots down- “Basically, they ran me out of busi- Alfredo Torres helped students to relax and hang out.