Braylon L. Rogers, 19, and Columbus E. Jones Jr., 22, face aggravated-murder charges along with 11 counts of felonious assault and one charge of shooting into a residence in the early Sunday shooting at an off-campus fraternity house party.

By JAMES W. WADE III
Staff Reporter

Braylon L. Rogers, 19, and Columbus E. Jones Jr., 22, face aggravated-murder charges along with 11 counts of felonious assault and one charge of shooting into a residence in the early Sunday shooting at an off-campus fraternity house party.

The two men opened fire after an argument occurred at an Omega Psi Phi fraternity house in Youngstown, Ohio this weekend. The two men shot multiple rounds into a crowd of people, killing a student and critically injuring a 17-year old with a head wound. The student who was killed was shot while trying to break the two disputing groups apart. The university said six of the injured were students.

The murder victim was 25-year old Jamail E. Johnson of Youngstown. Most of the 11 injured were shot in the foot. The men were arrested and charged with aggravated murder, shooting into a home, and felonious assault, according to Chief Jimmy Hughes of the Youngstown Police Department.

“These guys were in the location for a little while before the shooting occurred,” he said. “Something happened that they became unhappy. They had some type of altercation.”

The suspects, who were not Youngstown students, had been thrown out of a party at the Omega Psi Phi fraternity house, possibly after arguing over a girl, police said.

Police also sought to determine if trouble at another frat party and at a Youngstown club that night were related to the shootings.

Rogers and Jones were originally to appear in court Monday, but the arraignment was postponed so investigators could gather evidence that could lead to additional charges, police and prosecutors said.

Late Monday afternoon, Ohio Governor John Kasich stopped by the university to offer his condolences to the victims and their families. Kasich said in a news conference Monday after meeting with Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and university President Cynthia Anderson he didn't understand the shooting but promised to make changes to improve safety in Youngstown, 65 miles southeast of Cleveland, the (Youngstown) Vindicator reported.

"I can't tell you that any one of those things could have stopped this from happening, but I think all these things comprehensively can provide a greater sense of safety and security for people that live in this valley," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Kasich, an evangelical Christian who was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity when he was at Ohio State University, called on religious institutions and other members of the community to make Youngstown safer.

Fraternity shooting victims

• YSU senior Jamail E. Johnson, 25, killed
• Shavai Owens, 17, shot in ear and critically injured
• Jaleesa Moore, 20, shot in right elbow and left side
• Durrell Richardson, 31, of Girard, shot in left thigh
• Sean Griffin, 19, of Youngstown, shot in foot
• Ebony Mickel, 20, of Youngstown, shot in foot
• Jordan Wagner, 20, of Youngstown, shot in shoulder and foot
• TeJohn Lawrence, 19, of Youngstown, shot in foot
• Jamie Russin, 20, of Youngstown, shot in pelvis
• D'Anthony Brown, 17, of Youngstown, shot in foot
• Lisette Encarnacion, 19, of Youngstown, shot in buttock
• Selina Howard, 17, of Youngstown, grazed in left hand and left leg