Sunday, September 5, 2004 -The Aggie-Eagle Classic took place on Sunday at Carter-Finely Stadium. The Classic is an annual football game between N.C. Central University and N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University. The News & Observer reported, “Though most fans Sunday were aware of Saturday’s shooting, it seemed to have little effect on the carefully orchestrated parking-lot parties that have become an important part of the Classic.”

On Sunday evening police arrested Ashley Renee Brown, 18, in Tarboro and charged her as an accessory after the fact of murder. Brown drove Tony Johnson to a hotel after the shooting and helped him procure a room.

The September 6th News and Observer article by Janell Ross was the first time a University spokesperson publicly commented in a print article. The spokesperson made the following points in the article:

The lot where the shooting took place is not a University-owned or controlled space. It is owned by the State Fairgrounds.NCSU did not increase security for the Aggie-Eagle Classic, or make last-minute tailgating rules changes for the lots it owns.Between 80 and 100 law enforcement officers typically patrol the stadium complex and direct traffic at Carter-Finley Stadium events.University and city police and sheriff’s deputies patrol the University-owned parking lots on bicycles and in marked cars before, during and after games.

But the same article also had an ominous tone.

“It was the second time in as many years that an N.C. State football game was the occasion for violent death. In November 2003, six people died when a drunken driver smashed into a cluster of pedestrians gathered at the scene of a previous accident on Chapel Hill Road after a game.” I pause for a moment in the story to point out the underlying issue – the responsible use of alcohol. It is just that simple. Here are some solutions.

Eliminate pass outs. Pass outs allow fans to exit the stadium during halftime to return to the tailgate area to consume more alcohol. Know anyone else who does it? The tailgate task force considered “eliminating the practice of allowing fans to leave and then return to the stadium, but recommended the practice be retained for the 2006 season.” Pass outs only encourage more drinking.

Doing away with pass outs will also reduce operational costs because it will allow law enforcement agencies to release portions of their forces once the game begins and the fans are in the stadium. The move will increase concession sales which proceeds go to need-based scholarships. Also, the University should examine the message it sends to its student athletes by allowing large throngs of fans to exit the stadium during the game.

Provide fans with alcohol free zones. Currently fans can consume alcohol in any part of the tailgate area. The University should provide fans, especially families with underage children, with the option of tailgating in an alcohol free environment. This would require changes to the point system that is used to assign fans with parking spots.

Pat all fans down as they enter the stadium. Chancellor Oblinger tabled the tailgate task force’s recommendation to establish pat-downs of the ankles, wrists and small of the back. This approach is used at National Football League stadium gates and at the other college stadiums. This will reduce the amount of alcohol, especially hard liquor, which fans smuggle into the stadium.

Encourage fans to enter the stadium before kickoff. At East Carolina University, student parking lots are cleared by campus police twenty minutes before kickoff.

Tuesday, September 7, 2004 – The University was closed Monday because of the Labor Day holiday. The crisis did not appear on campus until Tuesday morning’s Technician. However, the tailgate shootings were on the minds of people on campus. Some reoccurring themes dominated students’ conversations – how did this happen here, what changes will be made to the tradition-rich tailgate, and alcohol.

The Johnson brothers made their first court appearance at 2 p.m. The rest of the story is sad.

Email Andrew at viewpoint@technicianonline.com