By MARCUS FRANKLIN The Associated Press September 26, 2007
A college student with a rifle and wearing a George Bush Halloween mask was apprehended Wednesday after walking through a campus of St. John's University, police said.
Security officers and another student tackled the man, who was carrying a single-shot rifle that was sticking out of a bag, as he walked toward a library, police said. No injuries were reported.
It was unclear 'why on this particular day he brought a gun on campus,' police spokesman Paul Browne said.
Police identified the student as Omesh Hiraman, 22, a freshman at St. John's, a Catholic university of about 20,000 students. Charges were pending.
Hiraman's father, Pat Hiraman, called the incident 'a misunderstanding' but said that his son hadn't been the same since having back surgery and was under heavy medication.
'Our son has always been a good boy and has never been in any sort of trouble,' the father said. He 'would never harm anyone,' he said.
Other students, one of them a police cadet, reported seeing the armed man at about 2:20 p.m. walking near a building at the Queens campus around the time he was supposed to be in a business class there, police said. The man was carrying a plastic bag with the barrel of a .50-caliber rifle sticking out and was wearing a hooded sweat shirt and the rubber mask, its mouth cut out. Five minutes later, public safety officials called 911.
An unarmed campus security officer aided by the cadet subdued the man after a brief struggle, police said. He was turned over to the New York Police Department, which later searched his home in Queens.
The rifle was loaded with one bullet, police said.
In a statement, police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised the cadet, 21-year-old Christopher Benson. Benson said he saw a man with a gun 'walking really fast' and 'jumped right in' to assist when campus security officers approached.
Students were told to stay inside their classrooms and buildings until around 5:30 p.m. Classes on the campus were canceled for the evening.
Kevin Su, an editor of the student newspaper, said he was notified of the incident because of the school's new emergency call system. Students received text and phone messages beginning around 2:40 p.m., he said.
Su said students were ushered into buildings that were staffed with security guards and told to stay put.
Student Lina Rios was in the school's gym with about 100 other people. She said she was impressed with how fast officials notified students, and said they updated students about every 15 minutes inside the gym.
'We were all amazed how fast the cops were there and how fast everyone knew what was going on,' she said.
Students said the university implemented the new emergency communication system this semester but they and faculty members are required to register for it. Still, Rios said, enough people were signed up to spread the word quickly across the campus.
Lawd, this boy's father is really out of tune when it comes to his son. Either that or the Dad is a pure idiot. How is what his son did "a misunderstanding"? He can't be serious! Walking across a school campus with a rifle hanging out of a bag, and you're wearing a mask with George Bush's face on it, and a dark hoodie. Yet he believes it was a "misunderstanding". Man I tell you. Some people and the things they say. Dude was going after somebody. Then he had the nerve to struggle with security? Man....whatever!
I commend St. John's University for their quick work on getting the word out to the students and faculty. That emergency call system is a great tool, and I'm glad that everyone is required to have it.
my best friends sister was on campus when that happened...and the whole campus was locked down...thats crazy...misunderstanding my ass...im glad they got him tho...wtf walking around with a rifle...SMDH...people are crazy...and he only had one bullet...he was targeting somebody
