By Dante Miller
Yard Editor
Aggies gathered around the Deese Clock tower in prayer as friends and loved ones mourn for the loss of Alisia Dieudonne, 19, and Ahmad Campbell, 21. The two students were slain at an off-campus apartment during a house party.
The prayer at the clock tower occurred at 8:30 pm. on October 2nd just hours after their deaths. A large number of students, faculty and residences came together during this tragic moment. Friends and loved ones of the victims shared their fond memories and last moments with the victims.
Aggie Heartthrobs came to the front of the crowd with pink and black balloons. One of the Heartthrobs stated how each one of them first met Dieudonne. “We first met Alisia in the dance studio in the Rec center and we instantly felt her charm. She was always smiling, always dancing and it’s really sad to hear that she’s gone because some of us literally saw her yesterday and we can’t believe she’s gone. And it hurts to think that she was just a bystander,” said one of the Heartthrobs.
The prayer was coordinated by sophomore Ashton Ross. Ross stated during the prayer “I believe prayer changes things. I believe that it heals these types of situations.” Ross continues by stating, “I just got here and one of the things that I hear casually is ‘just about every GHOE someone dies’ and that shouldn’t be okay. I don’t think we should have that feeling of expecting a life to be loss every year around this time.”
“I think there are some things that A&T can do such as beef up security but at the same time we have to make sure that we are not encouragers of violence and we don’t promote those types of things so that these senseless acts don’t happen,” said Ross
“I’m not going to tell anyone not to go out and not to party. I will not try to judge anyone because we should be able to have fun as college students. We should all come together as Aggies and have a nice time.”
According to junior Nick Jeffers, the party was intended to be small. “It was originally a kickback. It was going to be a small group of friends and that’s it,” said Jeffers, “Next thing we know, we see a line of people in front of our apartment.”
Jeffers stated that someone posted on social media that there was a party at his address. Jeffers also commented that he tried to make people leave; however, unintended guests rushed through the apartment and decided to let the uninvited guests stay.
“It was going well at first, and I was surprised that it went smoothly for a while but then a resident tried to fight one of my friends.” The resident was not a North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University student. After Jeffers defused the situation, he went into room C-4 to check on Dieudonne, who was sleep for a time. Campbell and other guest were also in room C-4. “I went in there to let them know what was going on.” After this, Jeffers went into the living room with the other guests. Shortly after, three shots were heard. People left the off-campus apartment immediately.
Jeffers believes a resident who was not an N.C A&T student was the one who caused the death of Dieudonne and Campbell. Witnesses of the party have commented that the suspect left in a red truck.
Jeffers described both victims as good friends of his. “Alicia was a sweetheart, and she wanted everyone to know she was a sweetheart. Ahmad was a really cool dude, always saying hi, he was a really chill person. It’s hard to think that two people I knew and cared about are gone.”
