TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A University of Arizona student who fled the deadly shooting at last weekend’s Midtown house party is speaking out.
The shooting injured three people and killed 20-year-old UA sophomore Erin Jones.
The student, who asked to remain anonymous, wants answers. She still feels shaken days after the shooting.
“Just trying to get back into finals mode at school, it’s very very hard,” she said.
She tells KGUN the party was organized by UA football players after their Spring Game on Saturday night. She says the party had a lot of different young people from both the UA and Pima Community College.
“Everything was going fine, people had brought their own drinks so nothing was provided,” she recalled. “[We were] talking to people, dancing, just enjoying the night.”
Then, she says, she heard shots from the other side of the backyard.
“We hear five, six gunshots just go in the air. It’s like, everyone stopped,” she said. “People didn’t really know what to do but just run. There was no way for us to get out but to jump a fence, a brick fence that was right there.”
She and a friend hid behind a car in front of the house as a second and third round of shots rang out.
“We were all just too afraid to look back, see who it was,” she said. “We just wanted to run and get out.”
She and her friend went down the street… eventually leaving the area in an Uber.
“And it could’ve been any of us. It’s just very scary.”
The student did not give any guess as to who may have fired the gun.
“As students, that’s the one thing we wanna know, is who went out of their way to hurt these students, to scare us, and for one of our students to die?” she said. “We just want those answers.”
She admits students are “terrified” to go to police.
“I mean, it’s so fresh,” she said. “Nobody would want to talk about it. It’s very traumatizing.”
But she also says someone needs to be held accountable.
“Whoever was at the party, speak up,” she said. “I’m not the only one who saw something. Someone had to be closer. And they need to be the one to speak up and say something.”
Tucson Police have not yet announced any arrests or suspects.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
