Langston University security upgrades have helped prevent campus violence, police chief says

Langston University police Chief Michael Storr said there have been no major crimes on campus since an Oct. 14, 2010, incident that landed two men in the hospital.

One man was shot and another was kicked in the head and seriously injured when a fight broke out at Langston's Scholars' Inn Complex dormitory.

Michael Vaughn, 26, and Chesley Ronald Griffin, 22, both of Grand Prairie, Texas, were arrested in connection with the assaults. Griffin was charged in Logan County District Court with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Vaughn was charged with possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction. Vaughn was sentenced in August to five years in prison. Griffin's charges were dismissed.

Logan County Sheriff Jim Bauman said his office hasn't been called to any incidents at the university since the shooting.

“It's been really quiet,” he said.

After the incident, university officials recognized they were unable to get reliable information about campus crime from students, Storr said. A “no-snitching” attitude existed on campus, he said, so students were unwilling to come forward with information.

Campus loitering, particularly at night, had become a problem, he said. Most of the problems were caused not by students, but by visitors.