The arrest of a Howard University student in the Feb. 29 shooting at the University Town Center in Hyattsville, Md. has sent shockwaves through the University community.
Arlen Garrett was arrested, and a second suspect, Masheleck Ellis, is also being held. Garrett and Ellis have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Donald James Smalls Jr., who was visiting his girlfriend, a Howard student.
According to the Prince George's County Police Department, both suspects went to the Town Center to meet Smalls. Their meeting soon turned into a physical struggle which ended when Smalls was shot in the lower body. The suspects then fled the scene of the crime immediately; Smalls died soon after being rushed to the hospital.
Garrett, a jazz studies major, jazz pianist and former Howard soccer player, has been suspended from the University and barred from all campus activities until a verdict is reached. If the suspects are convicted of second-degree murder, they may face up to life sentences in prison.
