Ronald McNeil. (Photograph courtesy of Brazos County’s Judicial Records Search at: http://justiceweb.co.brazos.tx.us)
An argument over a game of beer pong led to murder of a 19-year-old Texas college student who was shot while she was celebrating a friend’s upcoming graduation, police said in court documents.
Lacie LaRose was shot in the neck on May 3 by Ronald McNeil, College Station Police said in a press release. McNeil, a neighbor of the college student hosting the party, went to his house, got his gun and opened fire on the students when he returned, police said. Two other students were also shot, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police believe LaRose was a bystander to the fight between the college students and McNeil, and was not targeted.
McNeil, a felon, has been charged with murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held on more than $300,000 bond, according to the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.
The court documents were obtained Wednesday by The Eagle newspaper of Bryan-College Station.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. McNeil Said He Wanted to Scare the College Kids & Fired Accidentally
Lacie LaRose. (Facebook)
McNeil told police he fired the gun accidentally and just wanted to scare the college students with his Glock .40 caliber handgun, according to The Eagle.
The party was hosted by 23-year-old Texas A&M student Landon Duke, who was set to graduate from the College Station university.
Police said a verbal and then physical altercation started during the beer pong game, and McNeil left the party. Duke told police punches were thrown between a group of McNeil’s friends and the college students after McNeil and his friends were told to leave the party.
“We’re a bunch of college kids. We didn’t think anything was really going to happen. Just to be safe, we closed the garage door anyway,” Duke told The Eagle.
According to the court documents, McNeil alleges that racial slurs were directed at him and his friends by the college students, but they deny those claims.
When McNeil came back, police said he opened fire outside the home, firing 14 times. One of the bullets hit LaRose in the back of the neck and she was not able to be saved.
2. He Wasn’t Invited to the Party, the Host Says
Duke told police and The Eagle that McNeil and his friends were not invited to the party. Duke said he went to his neighbors earlier in the day to tell them he was having a party and ask that they not call the police if there was too much noise. He said the partygoers were surprised when the 39-year-old McNeil showed up, but said he was nice at first.
3. He Also Argued With the College Students Over the Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
According to KBTX-TV, the students had also gathered to watch the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
During the fight, McNeil and his friends became angry with the college students because they were not cheering for Mayweather, The Eagle reports.
4. He Has Previous Convictions for Drug & Gun Offenses
Ronald McNeil. (Police photo)
According to court records, McNeil was convicted in 2000 for manufacture of a controlled substance, a felony. He was also convicted in 1999 of unlawful possession of a firearm and sentenced to three years in prison.
5. LaRose’s Family Says She Dreamed of Becoming a Vet
Lacie LaRose. (Facebook)
April LaRose, Lacie’s mother, told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that her daughter wanted to transfer from Blinn College, where she had been studying, to Texas A&M.
“Ever since she was little she loved animals. It was her dream to become a vet. The vet dream was taken from her,” she told the news station. “She had a short life. I wanted a grand-baby from her. She was our only child.”
LaRose’s family and friends are raising money in her honor. A GoFundMe page has been set-up to collect donations.
