Cops Eye Suspect In "Good Kids" Shooting

Robbery Likely Motive For Execution-Style Slaying Of 3 N.J. College Students

(CBS/AP)  Police are close to making an arrest in the execution-style slayings of three college students, a spokeswoman for Mayor Cory A. Booker said.

The spokeswoman, Lupe Todd, would not say exactly when an announcement might come or how the possible break in the case was made.

It was not clear whether additional suspects might emerge.

In a city accustomed to violence, Saturday's killings touched a nerve.

Four friends, ages 18 to 20, were hanging out in a schoolyard Saturday around 11:30 p.m.

One, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel survived a wound to her head.

The other three — Aeriel's brother, Terrance Aeriel, 18, Dashon Harvey, 20; and Iofemi Hightower, 20 — were forced to kneel against a wall and were shot fatally at close range.

Authorities have said that robbery appeared to be the motive.

All four victims were planning to attend Delaware State University this fall.

The New York Times reported Natasha Aeriel, who remains hospitalized, was able to help authorities by giving her account of the shootings.

Officials have said that cameras trained on the schoolyard were not much help in the investigation; two of the three were not working.

There is a reward of more than $50,000 in the case.

Authorities have also gone to "America's Most Wanted," among other tactics to try to get witnesses to help.

"I don't believe there were a lot of witnesses, but people who do these things tend to talk," Essex County prosecutor Paula Dow said. "I don't believe they kept silent, and we're hoping anyone with any information, however tangential, will come forward."

[luvny-2009]

This seems more than a random shooting, it appears this may have been a brutal gang initiation or wow I don't know. This is just so far out there. I know Newark can be dangerous but this is just off the charts. I hope they get every last one of them. Hopefully the girl that survived can id some of these evil animals and put them away for good!

[deborahcox05]

They say that guns do not kill - people do.

But, if people did not have guns they would not be able to kill.

This story is very sad.

[oleander8]

"This seems more than a random shooting, it appears this may have been a brutal gang initiation or wow I don't know."[luvNY]

No, you don't know - do keep your suppositions to yourself. You don't have to comment on everything you read.

[smartie100]

Yup your right if we didn't have guns then none of this would ever happen. Because you know criminals, murderers and gang bangers are going to be the first ones in line to turn theirs in. You know who else was big on not giving citizens the right to bear arms and protect themselves?

Adolf Hilter... and wow he was a real fine leader. NOT!!!!

[lawchicksc]

"No, you don't know - do keep your suppositions to yourself. You don't have to comment on everything you read." (oleander8)

Neither do you, oleander8. But that's what makes this a great country - the right to bear arms and speak your mind.

[countryboy4u-2009]

DeborahCox05.... Bad people do bad things... and good people do good things... It wouldn't take a gun in the hands of "bad people" for this to happen. They could just have easily killed them with a knife or some other weapon.

[themurph2000]

I personally blame the person holding the gun, not the gun itself. True, guns don't kill people, but they do make it much, much easier to do so.

I personally think anybody who kills an innocent person with a gun is a chicken-sh*t p*ssy because they don't have the guts to get near the people they want to kill. THAT'S my problem with murders by guns. I wonder how many of these murderers would have the guts to still kill someone if they had to do it with a knife or their bare hands. You'd still get a few (maybe quite a few), but I'll take any reduction in crime anytime.

[mike71067]

Let's see: We take God out of our public schools, remove the Ten Commandments from our courtrooms, and make it politically incorrect to spank your child (it's better to "reason" with him and use "time out"). And we wonder why all this stuff is happening.

[mike71067]

"But, if people did not have guns they would not be able to kill. This story is very sad."
-Posted by DeborahCox05 at 08:16 AM : Aug 06, 2007

That comment was very stupid. Anybody can kill with any implement they can find. I guess you're saying that nobody committed murder prior to the invention of guns. Brilliant.

[itfinder]

The worst school (K-12) shooting in history happened in Germany. You know Germany is famous for the strictest gun control laws in the western world. Wonder why M.M. never made a movie about Erfurt? (type "Erfurt School shooting" into Google)

Stop trying to blame "things" or race for this crime the fact is there are bad people in this world and that is why bad things happen.

[luvny-2009]

"This seems more than a random shooting, it appears this may have been a brutal gang initiation or wow I don't know."[luvNY]

No, you don't know - do keep your suppositions to yourself. You don't have to comment on everything you read.
Posted by oleander8 at 08:24 AM : Aug 06, 2007

oleander8...What are you a Parrot...you keep telling people this. What's with the you don't have to comment on everything you read. You'r either high or drunk or just plain nuts.

[lochlan-2009]

The problem with gun control is the bad people can always get guns. I know in New London the mafia used to (this is going back 15 years) sell guns right off the boat, no numbers, completly illegal, if you got caught with them you were going to jail. $50 to $100 bucks got you tec-9's, handguns, etc. The criminals (murderers) will get guns, there is no doubt about that. The thing is, if these college kids had guns with them the outcome problably would have been different.

[nolalou]

mike71067,

First, nobody 'took god out of schools', students can pray silently anytime they want! Schools can't promote any religion, because the of our constitution and bill of rights! Do you want this to be a country like Iran, where you follow the one state sanctioned religion, or else? You need a lesson is democracy, religious freedom, and seperation of church & state.

I hope whoever committed these murders gets caught, and maybe the girl who survived will be able to help identify them. I blame the perpitrators of this crime, and nobody else!

[gheemaster38]

This is not some gang initiation.. It sounds like these young ones may have either been exposed to something (Crime?) accidentally and was as witnesses. There is not enough info to begin to assume these people were affiliated with any gang or involved in any illegal activity. Gang initiations rarely if ever involve shooting the prospectants. The way it looks is that these young ones were at the wrong place at the wrong time..

[soldat44]

You are one fu(king sick animal.
Posted by BigSwnginDik at 08:49 AM : Aug 06, 2007
+ report abuse

Reporting your sig and your comment language.

[nothappyatall]

Let's see: We take God out of our public schools... And we wonder why all this stuff is happening.
Posted by mike71067"

Oh bullchit, this is not the result of taking that fantasy crature out of schools, there are bad seeds no matter what is done. Given the FACT of your christian history of murder, violence and the book chock full of orders to stone 'sinners' to DEATH etc, your religion teaches more violence than an absense of it in schools.

Prayer is for emotionally WEAK people who need a Santa Claus in the sky to protect them.

www.atheists.org
www.evilbible.com

[mike71067]

"Oh bullchit, this is not the result of taking that fantasy crature out of schools, there are bad seeds no matter what is done."
-Posted by newster1 at 09:32 AM : Aug 06, 2007

It appears that in addition to taking God out of our schools, they also removed spelling and grammar.

[arealtexan]

I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I'm staunchly conservative politically to the point that I make Barry Goldwater look like he would have supported the New Deal. However, I oppose ORGANIZED prayer in public schools. I also support legalized abortion and legalization of marijuana. I staunchly oppose any gun control beyond what is on the books right now.

That having been said, those of you blaming this tragedy on a lack of gun control are highly mistaken. We have plenty of gun laws on the books right now in all 50 states. The problem is in the enforcement. Secondly, all states should adopt concealed carry laws such as Texas has. This would make scumbags such as the one who killed these innocent young people think twice before they decided to commit a crime because you never know who might have a gun on them. Third, no one ever took away prayer from public schools. They took away ORGANIZED prayer, and as a *victim* of organized prayer in public schools I am thankful my son will not have to deal with it.

What caused this tragedy is some scumbag was either caught in the act of a crime by these youngsters, or was out for the thrill of killing. All the organized prayers in the world and all the gun contol laws on the books and then some would not have stopped this tragedy. Some people are just hell-bent on doing evil.

[dinklebod]

One Nation Under God is the very principle this country was founded on. If you are not familiar with that perhaps you should revisit your history. No one is trying to force their doctrine on you, only giving you their opinion that they may believe until this country begins to find the religious freedoms which were granted to everyone in our beginning, our deterioration will continue until? You love your money which also bears In God We Trust. Our trust should be there no matter where we are and He should not be locked out for those who choose Him.

[arealtexan]

"Geezus. "Good" kids don't get shot. Not like this anyway. More to come."
Posted by drummer94 at 09:45 AM : Aug 06, 2007

Yes, they do, Drummer94. Bad things happen to good people all of the time. A young Christian lady I know well was brutally raped a few years back. She was just sitting in her car in a restaurant parking lot when attacked. Innocent workers at a fast food restaurant are executed during robberies.

I wish we did live in your world, Drummer, there would be a whole lot less of this kind of thing happening. But bad things happen to good people.

[feedback3-2009]

If this had happened behind a donut shop would it have been because they are taking donuts out of school cafeterias?

This has nothing to do with God, it's about crazy people who fid it all to easy to get their hands on a gun and play video games in the real world.

[dinklebod]

Has anyone ever found statistics that cited the crime rates for youth from public schools vs youth from Christian schools? Solid stats from a reputable study?

[drummer94]

That's why I said "more to come" tex. Not much of a completed story here. Yeah, for some reason(s) people kill people. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time, in our world today, shouln't be a death sentence. You say bad things happen to good people. Try this one on for size. May 10 2001. My long-time girlfriend dies of cancer. May 11 2001. My brother dies of cancer. Sept.11 2001 the towers get knocked down. June 21 2002. My long term job goes to Canada and Mexico. All involved were/are "good people".

[crazyivan32]

"Prayer is for emotionally WEAK people who need a Santa Claus in the sky to protect them."

posted by newster
__________________________


Prayer is for humble people who don't consider themselves to be the pinnacle of existence in the universe. Personally, I don't pray as often as I should, but today I'm going to make a point to pray for you.

[oakishpines]

' i say 'dare' and kids bleed. i say 'shock and awe' and kids bleed. at least they are voting in the correct direction. '


' they don't arrest so many, mostly they just rough them up in secret. '


' get back to work or i'll take you downtown and call your parents. you don't want a fair trial do you? '

[drummer94]

Nothing to do with this. "crazyivan"? From "The Hunt for Red October", right? I notice a lot of folks use movie stuff. ie: "Rafterman". "Iceman" etc. OK. Back to this horror-flik.

[nyckate]

Perhaps the motive is that they were good kids? Working and off to college instead of gang-banking, hooking and selling drugs??? Could it be that simple? COuld they have been killed because they rejected the lifestyle of the thugs?

I do NOT believe that nobody in Newark doesn't know what happened - they are going along with the rap culture that disses them for talking to cops.

[vancouverboo]

It would be a more Chrisitan country if God were in our hearts rather than on our money "In God we trust" or in our Pledge of Allegiance. I remember the Pledge before Congress inserted 'under god" back in the 50s and it was a better country before than it has been after. So much for prayer in schools. Action speaks louder than words, all you born again Christians. Put Christ in your childrens hearts and you won't have to insist the rest of the world speak your personal words of prayer. Pray in your closets not in the front of the auditorium.

[gheemaster38]

Geezus. "Good" kids don't get shot. Not like this anyway. More to come.
Posted by drummer94 at 09:45 AM : Aug 06, 2007
--------
Then if this is true can you explain the Jewish children that was murdered by the Nazis? were they bad? What about doing the Vietnam War? Okay, Columbine? Virginia Tech, More modern days- Iraq? Or Africa? I guess these were all "bad" kids, right? But, I do agree with you made, "more is to come"...

[bobnjersey]

[I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I'm staunchly conservative politically to the point that I make Barry Goldwater look like he would have supported the New Deal. However, I oppose ORGANIZED prayer in public schools. I also support legalized abortion and legalization of marijuana. I staunchly oppose any gun control beyond what is on the books right now.]
[Posted by arealtexan at 09:40 AM : Aug 06, 2007]

who is barry goldwater? (just kidding)

you sound more like a liberaterian ... a conservative w/ government out of his life.

[nyckate]

mike71067 - we learned about God and religion in my schools - but that is because my parents sacrificed and sent us to christian schools. If you want your kids to learn religion in school then do that - BUT - the public school system should NOT be teaching religion or God in schools - the public school kids are too diverse to allow for that.

I figure it this way - if it is important enough for parents who want "God" in their kids schooling they'll make those sacrifices. If not, then it wasn't really all that important to the parents - just convenient.

[dinklebod]

Someone knows something, i.e., Three of the young people had been ordered to line up against a wall on the weedy steps behind an elementary school and were shot to death from close range., notice "ordered to line up". Someone knows something. "Good Kids" are everywhere and they are not immune from crime, accidents, illness, etc. I am certain victims from West Virginia were "Good Kids" as well. The police cannot tell all they know or it could hinder their investigation and prosecution.

[dinklebod]

Someone knows something, i.e., Three of the young people had been ordered to line up against a wall on the weedy steps behind an elementary school and were shot to death from close range., notice "ordered to line up". Someone knows something. "Good Kids" are everywhere and they are not immune from crime, accidents, illness, etc. I am certain victims from West Virginia were "Good Kids" as well. The police cannot tell all they know or it could hinder their investigation and prosecution.

[drummer94]

Gee,ghee. I can't explain any of the nutso stuff going on. If I could, maybe I'd have a bigger impact on things.

[oakishpines]

if there's infinite points touching infinite other points and an infinite number of times each

and infinite numbers of immortals making infinite numbers of wishes each infinitesmal speck of space and time and 99.infin9% of those wishes are coming true

more folk should dance more pornographic get sick soon tax the world first strike on the trail songs and stop dancing pure get well soon feed the world first aid on the trail songs all the time


we each break a bone or something now or then here or there for fun just to put ourselves back together, but way too rarely do we each tuck in our wings and just fall from high above pluto to smash back down to earth and shatter ourselfs for fun and practice


we're so tunnel syndrome

then why am i here!?


someone told this anecdote once: ' i got tri focals and found at the urinal that ogling the little one get's one wet on by the big one and vice versa ' (couldn't think up a quick multi-sexual version)

i guess infinity is like that: staring into the big bubbled eternities outside can get one swallowed by the little bubbled eternities inside and vice versa

[talkingham]

These kinds of murders happen every day in every large US city and they have nothing to do with religion and gun control and everything to do with thugz who kill because they can and they enjoy it. The motive here may have been $10 so some thug could get high or a simple revenge killing for something somebody said in the 7th grade - these people don't care 'bout no religion in or out of the schools. They'd shoot God if they could.

So all you religo freaks please come down off your little holier than you high horses and - it's like when one of these college quarterbacks thanks Jesus for winning a football game, just self-inflated importance- I don't think God cares about who wins football games and evidently who murders their fellow man. You can print God's name on all the money you want, burn people at the stake for believing the earth rotates around the sun but religion is a human's vision of a huge cosmos that may indeed have a spiritiual component that is more complex than any science or religion.

[nyckate]

gheemaster38 - oh for the love of ... the poster wasn't saying that and wasn't getting into a discussion on the world's worst dictatorships and rampages - was talking about an aberration here in US ---- sheesh - get a grip hon.

[dinklebod]

Put Christ in your childrens hearts and you won't have to insist the rest of the world speak your personal words of prayer. Pray in your closets not in the front of the auditorium.
Posted by vancouverboo at 10:09 AM : Aug 06, 2007

You are too funny vancouverboo. Christians do pray in their closets, their prayer closets. They also pray for others.

[gheemaster38]

Gee,ghee. I can't explain any of the nutso stuff going on. If I could, maybe I'd have a bigger impact on things.
----

Agreed. But, if you could and decided to run for President I would be the first in line to vote for ya!!!! :)

[speakinup]

Bushs fault - yup, definitly his fault.

[drummer94]

Thanks kate. Gotta run. And oakishpines? Dude you get a grip too. "I'll be bock"........

[nyckate]

What the heck is with this "christian' stuff?? The murderers who lined these kids up aren't aethists or something - this insistance that 'christianity' is the end and be-all is nutso -- I bet you even voted twice for Bush didn't ya - cause he says he's a christian - yet he's not shown any signs of being a christian and sure enough has no morals, ethics or values to be proud of.

This murderers are animals - some people are simply born and raised this way. Black communities are big into christianity - I bet their mommas go to church every week - yet their kids are out there like animals.

I agree with 'arealtexan'. This kind of crime would only be done by someone with something to hide, or some kind of thrill - if you could call it that. But crazy people do crazy things.

Another Texan

[thisandthat1]

talkingham .... I don't think anyone could say it better than you did.

[bobnjersey]

[... burn people at the stake for believing the earth rotates around the sun but ...]
[Posted by talkingham at 10:16 AM : Aug 06, 2007]

the earth revolves around the sun?

when did this start happening ... and why didn't anyone tell me.

[drummer94]

ghee; NEVAGONNAHAPPEN. I ain't cleaning up this kinda mess. :) or :(

[dinklebod]

I don't think Christianity had anything that directly impacted what happened here. In the Bible there has always been a lot of violence and if theologists are correct there will be more to come. Detectives and prosecutors will investigate this one and then we will find the true motive of this crime. Freedom of religion, that includes those who choose not to believe, this is our rights. Let's not bash each other over what each chooses to be right. We should pull together to find solutions to fix what is wrong.

[gheemaster38]

gheemaster38 - oh for the love of ... the poster wasn't saying that and wasn't getting into a discussion on the world's worst dictatorships and rampages - was talking about an aberration here in US ---- sheesh - get a grip hon.
Posted by nyckate at 10:17 AM : Aug 06, 2007

Yea I think I did get carried away there for a moment... Thanks

[mira07-2009]

You know what really happened? Being from an urban area I can tell you! Black people do not allow other black people to get ahead in life. Kids walking home from school would have to hide their books for homework. Also, if you're black, try driving a nice car around your friends. See how mad they get if you don't share! These were good kids and they were getting out of the 'hood and some of their own people didn't like that!

[global_chick]

Isn't it spelled "style?" not "stye?" Hello, spell checkers at CBS!