Sunday’s killings of two Southern University students brought a wave of shock to residents of The Cottages of Baton Rouge, an off-campus community considered out of harm’s way by many. Despite its gated entrance and virtually nonexistent history of violence, yesterday morning’s police cars and ambulances cast doubt on the safety of LSU students who call the residential area home.
“You live in a gated community to feel safe, and you don’t feel safe when something like this happens,” said Cottages resident and construction management junior Logan Vaughn.
Non-student resident Jordan Levine said he and his roommates assumed The Cottages was one of the safer areas to live.
“You never really hear about that kind of stuff happening here,” Levine said.
Mass communication freshman Peyton Short was on her way back from formal when she first heard news of the incident. Though she does not live in The Cottages, Short said she spends a significant amount of time there.
“I just want to know more information about it,” she said. “It’s so random and crazy that I want to know why it happened and what was going on.”
Communication disorders sophomore Alex Jackson said the addition of a basketball court in The Cottages complex increased the prevalence of crime in the area. The court has “caused a lot of problems,” including nonresidents coming through the gates on a normal basis, she said.
Construction management junior Riley Rea agreed, saying “a lot of aggressive basketball and fights” happen in the area, and he does not feel as safe as he did before.
However, three-year resident and mass communication senior Jazmine Foxworth, a previous employee of The Daily Reveille, said she has not noticed any major changes in The Cottages community since the basketball court’s arrival.
“Nothing like that has happened here. I shouldn’t expect for that to happen in this kind of community,” Foxworth said. “I haven’t really noticed anything, but I guess things have changed. Maybe more people are coming around and that might’ve attracted people who hang out here more, but I’m not sure about that. I haven’t really noticed a difference.”
Though BRPD arrested Ernest Bernard Felton, 22, on Sunday night in relation to the shooting, circumstances surrounding the “previous altercation,” which a BRPD news release stated initiated the exchange of gunfire, remain unclear.
A pre-med junior, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw a party of about 200 Southern University students across the street from his apartment. After walking around the area, he said he heard two people talking about the shooting.
He said he heard a “car full of girls” tried to leave the party, but another car was not allowing them to leave.
“Some dude was like, ‘Oh, I’ll show you who’s boss,’ and pulled out an assault rifle and started shooting people,” he said.