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Second Man Arrested in Connection to Kirkland Shooting

Blayn Jiggetts, 19, jailed without bail, refuses to go voluntarily to Mass. to face murder charges

New York resident Blayn Jiggetts, 19, was arrested in Harlem late Tuesday night in connection with last month's deadly shooting in Kirkland House.

Jiggetts is the second man arrested for the murder of Cambridge resident Justin Cosby, 21, who was shot in the basement of the dormitory on May 18 after a failed drug rip, according to prosecutors. Police are continuing to work to "identify and locate" a third suspect, who remains at large, said Corey Welford, a spokesman for the Middlesex district attorney's office.

At his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday, Jiggetts refused to return voluntarily to Massachusetts to face criminal charges, which include first-degree murder, accessory after the fact of murder, carrying a gun without a license, and armed robbery. He has been jailed without bail and is scheduled to reappear in court on July 8.

Jiggetts' lawyer, Sergio De La Pava, declined to comment as he left court.

Because Jiggetts refused to voluntarily return to Massachusetts to face criminal charges, prosecutors must obtain a governor's warrant in order to have Jiggetts extradited. Obtaining the warrant, which requires the signatures of both the New York and Massachusetts governors, is expected to be a "pretty standard" process because the case involves murder charges,
according to Middlesex District Attorney spokeswoman Jessica Venezio.

The first individual charged—Jabrai J. Copney, 20, of New York City—is also currently being held without bail. Copney, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Cambridge District Court last month, faces three of the same charges as Jiggetts, including first-degree murder, but does not face the armed robbery charge. The maximum sentence for first-degree murder in Massachusetts is life imprisonment without parole.

The nature of the relationship between Jiggetts, a resident of Mount Vernon, N.Y., the victim, and other suspects is as of yet unclear, according to Welford.

Investigators said that Copney contacted Cosby and had him come in for a meeting in Kirkland House. It is alleged that the suspects confronted Cosby in a common space in Kirkland House. Shots were fired, and one of those shots struck Cosby, resulting in his death, according to the DA. Officials have not yet determined who fired the shot.

After shots were fired, Cosby left the building toward Dunster Street, while Copney left toward Lowell, where he met with an unidentified witness. It is at this time that he got rid of the gun. He then left the city for New York with the individuals who had come from New York with him.

Cosby was found with about $1,000 in cash and a pound of marijuana on or near his person. Last month, The Crimson reported that Cosby has been linked to drug sales to Harvard students.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Kirkland resident Chanequa N. Campbell '09 and Lowell House resident Brittany J. Smith '09—Copney's long-time girlfriend—were denied diplomas at last week's Commencement exercises. Last month, the DA's office said that two Harvard students allegedly gave swipe-card access to the victim and suspects and allowed them to enter the Kirkland basement, where the shooting took place.

According to Campbell's lawyer Jeffrey T. Karp, Campbell has denied knowing the victim or giving her swipe card to anyone that day. Campbell has said to several media outlets she feels "singled out" due to her background.

Material from the Associated Press was used to compile this report.

—Staff writer Athena Y. Jiang can be reached at ajiang@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Peter F. Zhu can be reached at pzhu@fas.harvard.edu.


Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Jabrai J. Copney faced the same charges as Blayn Jiggetts. In fact, he does not face the armed robbery charge.
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