Four BB shooters arrested, two await trial

By Josh Rutenberg     10/1/09 7:00pm

Last week, four suspects involved in the Labor Day weekend BB shootings on the Rice campus and surrounding area were identified by Rice University Police Department. Arrests have been made for three of the suspects, and the fourth, a Rice student, turned herself in to authorities late last week.RUPD identified the suspects as Caitlin Barnett, 19; John Michael Chargois, 22; Paul Helton, 18; and Bonnie Mugg, 21. All four are charged with aggravated assault, a felony, Police Captain Dianna Marshall said. Harris County Jail set bond at $30,000 for each individual. Only Barnett and Chargois are accused of being involved in every reported BB incident.

According to Police Chief Bill Taylor, Barnett, a Lovett College sophomore, turned herself in some time between Thursday and Friday afternoon, posted bond and was released. Mugg also posted bond and was released. The two remaining suspects, Chargois and Helton, are currently in jail awaiting a trial date to be set.

On Sept. 6 and 7, several incidents of BB shootings on Rice's outer loop and on several nearby streets were reported. Victims alleged that the BBs were shot either from a Ford Ranger pickup owned by Barnett or a gray Ford Escape owned by Mugg. In one case, Sid Richardson College sophomore Karen Frankfield was shot by BBs, knocked down and kicked in the ribs on her way back from Rice Village.

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"I heard a popping noise," Frankfeld said. "They were screaming profanities, and they got out of the car and pushed me down."

Frankfeld was shot four times in total: twice in the right breast and twice in the shoulder. Frankfield sustained minor injuries, but did not seek medical attention.

Frankfeld said her sense of fear has been heightened since the incident.

"I've never experienced anything like this before," Frankfeld said. "I was really disappointed when I found out a Rice student was involved."

Another victim, who was fired upon on I-45, trailed the suspects' gray Ford Escape and managed to get the license plate number from the vehicle. Marshall credited that information as the key factor that led to the identification and subsequent arrests of the suspects. After identifying the vehicle as Mugg's, RUPD tracked the vehicle to the suspect's residence and searched her car, where they found three BB pellets on the floor of the vehicle. Marshall said the suspects were then interviewed, and they provided additional information that allowed RUPD to obtain warrants for the arrest of all four individuals.

"Reckless behavior that endangers others will not be tolerated at Rice," Taylor said in a Rice News release.

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