Few leads in USF campus shooting

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Post a comment | E-mail this story | Print

Stem used to live at the complex where he was shot.

Police continue to search for whoever shot a 57-year-old man to death in a USF Tampa campus parking lot late Thursday night.

The victim, Ronald Stem, was a former student and staff member who used to live at the Magnolia Apartment Housing Complex. He had been visiting a friend at the complex and was walking back to his car when he was shot.

Late Friday, the only lead USF police had was that three men were seen speeding away in a car after the shooting.

USF students and police said the area where Stem was shot is not prone to violence.

Contact the Reporter
	Click here to e-mail Chris Hawes, the TV reporter for this story.

"I come here all the time," said student Brian Smith. "That's really surprising to hear. I've never heard of any violence anywhere in this area."

The last homicide to occur at USF happened in 1994 after a concert in the Special Events Center. It was a domestic situation where a man shot and killed his girlfriend.

"Statistically and historically this has been a very safe campus," said Sgt. Mike Klingebiel of the USF Police Department.

Click on the graphic for a larger photo from a video surveillance camera.

But Klingebiel said until they know more about the murder they will keep a closer eye on the campus.

"We're going to step up patrols in the residential areas and we've asked the Tampa Police Department to increase their presence on campus as well," he said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 873-8477.