DST House Fire @ U of Alabama

CrimsonTide4 · #1 08-22-2002, 05:38 PM

Thanks Steeltrap for the heads up:

Tuscaloosa News
August 22, 2002

Deliberate fire set after shots fired at sorority picnic

By Steve Reeves
Staff Writer

TUSCALOOSA | Police are investigation a fire they say was
deliberately set at a University of Alabama sorority house this
morning just hours after shots were fired at a campus picnic attended by members of the sorority.

No one was injured in either incident. Police classified the blaze as
arson, meaning it was deliberately set. The first floor of the Delta
Sigma Theta sorority house, a black sorority, was visibly damaged.
Eight women were in the house at the time of the fire but they all
escaped without injury.

Josh Payne, a member of nearby Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, said he was awakened at 4:49 a.m. Thursday by what "sounded like two gunshots." The sound apparently was caused by windows breaking during the fire.

Payne looked out the window of his fraternity house and saw flames coming out of the bottom floor windows of the Delta Sigma Theta house.

Payne, who reported the fire to authorities, said he also saw "five
or six college-age guys" standing outside the sorority house while it burned. The men disappeared before police arrived, he said.

The fire came just hours after a shooting incident that happened
after a joint picnic between Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Omega Psi Phi fraternity at the UA amphitheater. A UA press release said twoshots were fired into the air at 10:32 p.m., while the students were cleaning up after the picnic.

University police arrested two people, Timos Deron Fears, and Rodney Demille Moore, neither age known, in connection with the shooting and charged them with reckless endangerment. It is not known if the two are students, but police think they may be.

The Tuscaloosa Fire Department, which is investigating the fire,
referred calls seeking information to UA media relations. The UA
police department also referred calls to UA media relations.

Copyright © 2002 The Tuscaloosa News

SoTrue1920 · #2 08-22-2002, 06:21 PM

*SIGH* Will Alabama ever evolve past 1956? For the love of G*D!

I'm glad that none of your sorors were physically hurt, and I hope that they catch the sons-of-you-know-whats who did this.

FuzzieAlum · #3 08-22-2002, 06:26 PM

That's just awful!

I hope they will be able to repair, rebuild, whatever it takes to fix the house!

RhoPsiDST · #4 08-23-2002, 12:03 PM

That's a dog on shame..
Always some haters in the mix

MeezDiscreet · #5 08-23-2002, 01:15 PM

i can't believe this!!!

but i am so relived that no one was hurt

Ideal08 · #6 08-23-2002, 02:45 PM

This is some of the most ridiculous mess I've heard in a long time. I am SO glad no one was hurt in either event. My thing is it sounds like the shooting and the fire are two separate events. Because, like yall, I'm assuming the fire was started by some White kids. But the names of the men arrested sound melanin induced.

I can't let this go, and I'm surprised CT4 didn't comment on it. Are the police investigation a fire??? LOL!!

CrimsonTide4 · #7 08-23-2002, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ideal08
I can't let this go, and I'm surprised CT4 didn't comment on it. Are the police investigation a fire??? LOL!!

Honey that is how the SOUTHERN folks talk -- TRUST. I have been reading my student's writing and CLAWDAMME -- even my Advanced and GIFTED children have issues. This one mofo tried to tell me I used improper English, it took ALL I could not to cuss his azzzzzz out and he has soemthing wrong with his eyes -- not cock or lazy but SUMPIN'

CrimsonTide4 · #8 08-23-2002, 04:08 PM

http://www.cw.ua.edu/vnews/display.v.../3d659bd569f7e

Sugar_N_Spice · #9 08-23-2002, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ideal08
My thing is it sounds like the shooting and the fire are two separate events. Because, like yall, I'm assuming the fire was started by some White kids. But the names of the men arrested sound melanin induced.

That's exactly what I was thinking...Yeah, it does sound like some Haters...I hope they weren't Black, though (that makes it ALL the worse)....I pray that they can rebuild the house and thank God that no one was hurt...

1913CrimsonQT · #10 08-23-2002, 04:28 PM

In a yahoo e-group that I'm in, someone happened to have seen the incident and it was not some "white kids." This was done by our own people.

Here is what I received...I don't know how accurate it is...but you can be the judge:
OK..here's what happened..There's a local rap label called "Dirty World" and a guy on that label asked the DJ to play his song , but the DJ replied "Oh I'm about to go." So Snow (the dude) was like "Cool". But as soon as Snow was leaving, a Delta got on the mic and started rapping..So Snow felt a bit slighted or whatever, so he then went to Stickabush (the DJ) and asked him what was up (because they're actually homeboys), and one thing led to another and he and Stickabush were just having an argument (something they would've settled on their own, since they're cool), but then a Delta stepped to Snow and sorta pushed him back and asked if he would calm down..Snow basically snapped at her, and then an Omega got in Snow's face. Words were exchanged and Snow felt like the Que was too close to him, so he swung on him. The punch didn't land though, but you know how that goes..All the Ques were headed toward Snow,so all of Snow's boys were headed toward THEM. And it was just a stupid fight. One of the Omegas who was basically losing his end of the battle just got up and said, "Man, we gotta end this sh*t"..So he went to his car got his gun and started shooting in the air. So the cops arrested a couple of Snow's friends because they weren't shooting in the air, they were aiming directly AT some of the Omegas. All of this happened at the amphitheater, but the Deltas moved the party to the house..I guess some of the people that they'd been into it with earlier thought the party was still going @ 5 in the morning (dumb asses) and we (me and street people) that some of Snow's boys were the ones that set the blaze..Don't know why, but that's just how they do it I guess. Oh, and how do I know all of this? Because me and my homeboys sat on the car outside the amphitheater and watch the WHOLE thing..The cops were looking at us like, "Damn, these negros are crazy..Shots are being fired and they're watching it for entertainment". It's crazy though.I didnt' mention it yesterday, because I wanted to see how long it would take for it to get national recognition. I was telling my Soror that bad news spreads like wildfire (no pun intended), but had the Deltas & Ques done a service project, half the people in Tuscaloosa wouldn't even know about it.

Conspiracy2 · #11 08-23-2002, 07:06 PM

Lambda Zeta is my chapter of initiation. I am an alumni now of the University of Alabama as well as the chapter, however I still have sands there as well as my babies! So, when I along with former chapter members heard this news you can imagine our state of shock and hurt.

First, I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone for all of the support and more importanly all of the prayers that have been offered for our Sorors and the Omegas in this most distressing time!

Second, the state of Alabama as well as the University have made a lot of strides toward racial tolerance and progress. After living in a different country and different cities across the U.S. I think I can honestly say that we have come much farther than what most would think. I think because of our torrid racial past we are more sensitive to those issues than others. You see, I am from the Magic city of Birmingham-known in the 60's as "Bombingham." We are not perfect down there, we still have a long ways to go, as a lot of other cities but we are still working!

Now, I was not present at the actual event. However, I do know for a fact that this had nothing to do with White people. It was our own. The white kids actually lived in another greek house near the Delta house. From reports that I have seen they gave statements about who and what they saw to police. I'm glad that they were able to do that;it will help the police in furthering their investigation. Believe it or not, whites and blacks do work along together more than you hear about on that campus! Sad to say the media never puts those stories out there though. Also, please dont' succomb to all of the rumors, various media reports, and hearsay that situations like this are almost guaranteed to bring about!

My chapter has done so much for and in the Tuscaloosa and University campus. Tuscaloosa is such a small college town: Sadly, the only entertainment that African Americans have in that city is sponsored by Greek sororities and fraternities.
Most of the problems occur when outsiders are allowed in. But how do you fix that? There really isn't a way that you can say..."Oh you can come in, nope not you....oh well we know you...okay." I know after the incident in 2000, everyone coming in and out had to have current college ID, no alcohol anywhere, and we had a policeman at the door to frisk, security walking throughout the party and UAPD patrolling the parking lots....sad you have to go through all of that to have a dang on party! But we did....not only did we want to feel safe...we wanted fellow students partying with us to feel safe as well.

I am so grateful that the entire house was not destroyed and no one lost their lives in this situation. We all know that life is to short! So Sorors, Bruhs...Sisterfriends...once again, I just ask you to keep my chapter in your thoughts and prayers. This is something that none of us should ever have to go through! And I along with the current chapter members as well as former chapter members are still struggling to make sense of this!

Delta Love
ROOOOLLLLL TTTIIIIDDDDEEE!!

Conspiracy2
42k of P.LA.T.I.N.U.M.
LAMBDA ZETA
Spring 2000

MeezDiscreet · #12 08-23-2002, 09:40 PM

I'm not understanding this....

Quote:

Originally posted by 1913CrimsonQT
One of the Omegas who was basically losing his end of the battle just got up and said, "Man, we gotta end this sh*t"..So he went to his car got his gun and started shooting in the air. So the cops arrested a couple of Snow's friends because they weren't shooting in the air, they were aiming directly AT some of the Omegas.

both parties started shooting?

I'm not understanding this...

Quote:

I guess some of the people that they'd been into it with earlier thought the party was still going @ 5 in the morning (dumb asses) and we (me and street people) that some of Snow's boys were the ones that set the blaze..Don't know why, but that's just how they do it I guess.

or this...especially this...

Quote:

Oh, and how do I know all of this? Because me and my homeboys sat on the car outside the amphitheater and watch the WHOLE thing..The cops were looking at us like, "Damn, these negros are crazy..Shots are being fired and they're watching it for entertainment". It's crazy though.I didnt' mention it yesterday, because I wanted to see how long it would take for it to get national recognition.

1913CrimsonQT · #13 08-23-2002, 10:01 PM

That's just what the e-mail that was sent stated. I don't know how accurate the information is.

Quote:

Originally posted by MeezDiscreet
I'm not understanding this....

both parties started shooting?

I'm not understanding this...

or this...especially this...

Eirene_DGP · #14 08-24-2002, 09:15 AM

This is really ridiculous. I am glad none of the DST sisters were harmed. All this hate has to stop somewhere. If you have an issue with one person deal with him/her, but don't endanger the lives of other people in the process.

9dstpm · #15 08-24-2002, 08:41 PM

I was so mad when I read this!!! Thank God no one was hurt!! I hope that they catch whoever did this!!