3 arrested in deadly Lincoln University mass shooting planned to rob homecoming attendees: DA
Five additional victims were also shot and treated at area hospitals.
LOWER OXFORD TWP, Pa. (WPVI) -- Authorities in Chester County have announced new arrests in connection with a deadly mass shooting during homecoming festivities last October at Lincoln University.
The three suspects have been identified as Karon Rollins, 17, Makaveli Valera, 19, and William Sells, 20, who are all of Wilmington, Delaware.
Prosecutors say the three are being held in Wilmington on charges including second-degree murder, robbery and related offenses.
Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said a fourth suspect, Zecqueous Morgan-Thompson, was arrested at the scene on Oct. 25, 2025, for carrying a concealed firearm. He now faces six counts of aggravated assault.
Prosecutors said they do not believe Morgan-Thompson knew the other suspects or was working with them.
Investigators believe Rollins, Valera and Sells intentionally targeted Lincoln University homecoming attendees in a series of armed robberies, stealing jewelry and other valuables.
"A group of people from Wilmington decided they were going to crash the party. They came with guns. They planned to commit robberies," said DA de Barrena-Sarobe during a news conference on Tuesday.
As the chaos broke out around 9 p.m., prosecutors say Rollins shot 20-year-old Ju'Juan Jeffers in the head, killing him at the scene.
Five additional victims were also shot and treated at area hospitals.
RELATED | Family of man killed at Lincoln University homecoming sues school, alleges negligence
"Not only did they kill people and hurt people, they destroyed the sense of security," de Barrena-Sarobe said.
Investigators said social media posts and text messages were critical in identifying the suspects and placing them at the scene. One video shows a man wearing a gray camouflage sweatsuit running through a crowd while holding a gun. Additional footage allegedly shows the same individual working with Sells, who was also found shot at the scene, investigators said.
With assistance from detectives in Wilmington, authorities were able to link all three suspects to criminal activity prior to the Lincoln University shooting, including a robbery and a separate fatal shooting.
The family of Jeffers has filed a lawsuit, alleging the school's negligence led to the 20-year-old's death.
According to the lawsuit, the university was unprepared to handle the size of the homecoming crowd.
"They were totally ill-equipped to have this crowd there. They didn't have metal detectors, they didn't have wands, they weren't checking ID," said the family's attorney, Michael Van der Veen, in March.
The Jeffers family is seeking punitive damages and a complete audit of the university's security procedures.
