A 19-year-old student at Central Michigan University is being charged with the murder of his parents at his college dorm room. Police said that on Friday morning, the alleged shooter, James Eric Davis Jr., brought his father’s registered gun from the University parking lot into the residence hall where his parents were. Davis Jr.’s parents, James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis, were on campus on a day where many students families were also on campus to pick up their kids for Spring Break which was also the case for Davis Jr.
A new report by the Associated Press reveals a family friend’s thoughts about the Davis Sr., his wife Diva and their son and alleged killer who he knew since he was a toddler.
Jordan Murphy,41, worked with Davis Sr. for 4 years in Chicago as a National Guard recruiter for the state of Illinois.
“Junior is a good kid. He’s a great young man,” Murphy said told the Associated Press. regarding Davis Jr. “He’s the kind of young man who would hold the door and step aside for adults.”
Reports following the Davis Jr.’s arrest showed that a day prior, the suspects parents picked him up from the hospital which he was admitted to for suspected drug abuse. Police have not said whether or not the accused was under the influence of drugs at the time of arrest.
“I’ve known him since he was 4 or 5,” Murphy said of Davis Jr. “From knowing the family … something out-of-character occurred. Something external affected the situation that caused this unfortunate tragedy to occur.”
The Davis’ have two other children, one son older than Davis Jr. and a younger daughter who both were raised with great values according to Murphy.
During the Friday morning shooting, the campus was on lock down as Davis Jr. was not immediately found after the incident. Davis Jr. was spotted around midnight on the north end of campus. He was apprehended and sent first to a hospital for evaluation. The teen suspect is now being held in jail on a $3 million bail.
With classes out of session for Spring Break, there was no need to cancel classes for the following Monday. Classes are expected to be back in session as planned on March 12.
