Details regarding the shooting incident that occurred early Saturday morning, which injured three Seton Hall students, one who died late Saturday afternoon, are becoming clearer.
Sophomore Jessica Moore, 19, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died from her injuries in the 4 p.m. hour according to a student who was at the hospital with her.
According to an eyewitness at the party, Moore jumped in front of Nakeisha Vanterpool, a sophomore majoring in social work, in order to shield her from the gunfire, which resulted in Moore's head wound.
According to two eyewitnesses, who asked to remain anonymous due to the severity of the situation, the amount of people at the off-campus fraternity house party made it hard to move.
One eyewitness said he left 20 minutes before the shooting incident happened. While he was leaving, two more groups of what he estimated were 25 people total were entering the house.
He said that he was unable to move to begin with, and he did not understand how so many more people were being let into the party.
"You couldn't breathe, all the windows were closed," another eyewitness said. "It felt like you were in a can of sardines."
The eyewitness explained that at first the gunman came to the house unarmed. He was turned away at the door, and an altercation ensued. After being escorted out of the house, the eyewitness said the shooter returned with a gun at what she estimated was not even two minutes later.
He barged in the front door and started shooting, according to the eyewitness.
"He started blowing off shots," she said. "(He) shot anywhere, anyone."
According to the eyewitness, people started running and jumping out windows. Many people, including the eyewitness, fell on the floor, which she described as slippery.
By the time she escaped the house, she said she saw local police were already outside.
"She was a nice person, and she said ‘hi' to everyone," she said. "She saved her friend's life."
Vanterpool suffered two bullet wounds, as reported by The New York Times.
"My friend, my sister I can't believe your (sic) gone you not only save my life but you taught me so much my angel," Vanterpool wrote on her Facebook page.
Vanterpool still remains at University Hospital in Newark, according to junior Derel Stroud.
"It's not fair to anyone at all," one eyewitness said.
Nicholas Parco can be reached at nicholas.parco@student.shu.edu
Jessica Sutcliffe can be reached at jessica.sutcliffe@student.shu.edu
