Arrest made in campus slaying of Ali Baker
The man accused of murder on the campus of Wake Forest University (WFU) was arrested last week.
According to reports, members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Charlotte Office of the U.S. Marshal’s Service apprehended 21-year-old Jakier Shanique Austin on Wednesday, April 11. Austin became a person of interest after police arrested 16-year-old Malik Smith a few days after the incident in late January.
Around 1 a.m. on Jan. 20, police were dispatched to “The Barn,” an event center on the campus of WFU. Upon arrival police found 21-year old Ali Baker suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
It is believed that Smith, who has been charged with assault by pointing a gun, possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm on university property, held other party-goers at bay with a gun while Austin fired the shots that took Baker’s life.
Shortly after the arrest was made public, WFU President Nathan O. Hatch released the following statement: “I would like to express my solemn gratitude for the diligent work of the Winston-Salem Police Department the U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies for bringing this part of the case to closure. Their tireless efforts, in cooperation with the Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University Police Departments, will help our campus communities continue to heal. Our deepest condolences remain with Mr. Baker’s family and friends.”
Baker, 21, was a native of Brooklyn N.Y. and a transfer student from Dean College was a walk-on defensive lineman for the Ram’s football team.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at (336) 773-7700 or CrimeStoppers at (336) 727-2800.
