2 Suspects Arrested In Shooting Death Of NJIT Student
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Two suspects were arrested and charged Friday in the fatal shooting of a New Jersey Institute of Technology student who was killed during a burglary at a fraternity house in Newark.
As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, Nafee Cotman, 18, was in taken custody earlier Friday. Taquan Harris, 22, who had been the subject of a manhunt, was located and arrested in Irvington Friday afternoon, CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported.
Both face murder, burglary and weapons charges, authorities said.
Joseph Micalizzi was killed early Monday morning at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near the NJIT and Rutgers University Newark campuses.
The 23-year-old NJIT student from Freehold was shot twice when he resisted an armed robbery at the frat house, authorities said. Micalizzi was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
"Two individuals had entered that building armed with a handgun, and with the intent to commit a robbery," said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray. "In the course of that robbery, young Mr. Micalizzi was shot, and he was killed."
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka expressed grief about Micalizzi's death.
"We feel for the community at NJIT, as well as the parents who sent their son to school to learn, and to lose his life is devastating," Baraka said. "But we are happy today that we will be bringing justice.
But students from NJIT and neighboring Rutgers University-Newark remained on edge.
"I know that Rutgers is doing what they can to increase security, but at the same time, it's still nerve-wracking," said Rutgers senior Chandni Vyas.
"It was a random student, so it could happen to us," said another Rutgers student.
Some students were taking extra precautions.
"My friends, we always travel in groups now," said Rutgers student Rakan Al-Ahmad. "I don't go out, like at all, alone, especially at night."
Among the most disturbing realities was that the attack on Micalizzi appeared to be totally random.
"It was a straightforward robbery where what was sought was cash," Murray said.
Murray said she spoke to Micalizzi's parents, and they found some closure with the arrest of Cotman. Still, their son is gone.
"This is the loss of a promising young man, who from every indication was poised to make a great contribution to the state of New Jersey," Murray said.
NJIT said Micalizzi was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. He made the dean's list in the fall and was in his second year at NJIT after transferring from Brookdale Community College, the school said.
His death was the result of the second fatal shooting near the NJIT and Rutgers-Newark campuses in less than a month.
On April 10, 21-year-old Rutgers student Shani Patel was killed and his roommate, a recent graduate, was seriously injured when they were shot inside their off-campus apartment, authorities said.
Police arrested 25-year-old Marcus Feliz in connection with the case.