UPDATE 1:30 P.M.: Two male Seton Hall University students were assaulted with a handgun, one suffering a bullet wound in the arm and the other pistol whipped in the head around 8:00 p.m. last night at a second floor Grove Terrace apartment residence in South Orange, according to South Orange Police Chief James M. Chelel.
Chelel described the three suspects as two black males and a white male who is possibly a SHU student, all in their early 20's.
According to a release, SOPD received several calls around 8:13 p.m. reporting gunshots, and a short while after, the male student confirmed to have been shot in the left bicep entered police headquarters.
Chelel said that after the student entered the station, dispatchers found the second student who had been pistol whipped in the apartment but at that point the three suspects had already fled.
"I feel very strongly that this was not a random act," Chelel said.
Captain Kyle Kroll and Chelel said that the possibility of the incident being drug related has not been ruled out.
No arrests have been made as of a press conference at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Chelel said that both students were released from the hospital late last night.
A University statement courtesy of Greg Tobin issued late last night states: "Police have not released the students' names, but reported that the students were transported by ambulance to The University Hospital of UMDNJ, Newark, with non-life threatening injuries. University officials are cooperating with the active ongoing criminal investigation."
The two victims ran out of the complex via the front door towards the police station, resulting in blood stains within the residence, a female SHU student resident of the second floor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as long as any suspects are at large.
A second female student said that a detective arrived at her Brookglen apartment around 11:00 p.m. and informed her that the incident "was absolutely not a random act" and that "all the people involved knew each other."
A Pirate Alert was sent to the University community at 10:06 p.m. warning that "SOPD reports shooting off campus," and to avoid the area around 185 South Orange Ave, and that email updates would follow. No Pirate Alerts have been issued since.
According to South Orange Police Department officers on the scene, no one was allowed in or out of the complex last night.
According to the first student source, she and her roommates heard what they believed to be three gunshots around 8:00 p.m. and heard a male voice screaming, possibly saying something about "pain," "police" or "please."
The student said she and her roommates saw two men exit the apartment via the fire escape on the back of the building, at which point they entered a maroon four-door vehicle and fled.
Note that the Setonian arrived on scene and reported shortly after 9:30 p.m.
In front of the complex an Essex County Prosecutor's Office Crime Scene Unit Vehicle could be seen along with SOPD patrol vechicles.
Two Seton Hall vehicles, a Public Safety Jeep Liberty and one Safe Ride van, were outside as well.
The incident is being jointly investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office's Major Crime Scene Unit and SOPD, according to the release.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Brian McGuire at 973-378-7772, ext. 7788. All calls will be kept confidential, according to the release. .
Continue to check www.thesetonian.com for further updates.
Charlotte Lewis can be reached at charlotte.lewis@student.shu.edu.
