As news of Syracuse University senior Brian T. Shaw's arrest on a charge of second-degree murder spread through the community Thursday, Chancellor Nancy Cantor sent an e-mail to students, faculty, staff and local alumni to address the tragedy and offer counseling to those who need it.
"As of now, our comprehension of this unspeakable tragedy is incomplete," Cantor wrote in the e-mail. "Neither our heads nor our hearts permit us to fully understand all that has happened and why."
"The children and the family of the deceased are in our thoughts, as are those on campus who know Brian Shaw," said SU spokesman Kevin Morrow.
He said the university is cooperating fully with the Syracuse police and the Onondaga County District Attorney's office.
The university places students charged with violent crimes on interim suspension pending resolution by the criminal justice system, Morrow said. The university has yet to receive a report from police on Shaw's arrest, Morrow said, but expects one soon. When the university receives the report Shaw will be placed on interim suspension, he said.
Shaw is a member of the SU cheerleading team and a brother in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He attended Henninger High School in Syracuse. The victim, Chiarra Seals, attended Corcoran, another city high school. The two had a four-year-old daughter together. Seals had a 17-month-old son with another man.
"Brian T. Shaw has been a great friend and brother to all of us at Sigma Phi Epsilon," the Syracuse chapter of the fraternity said in a written statement. "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this incident. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the victims."
Allegations shock SU community - The Daily Orange - News
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