Campus Alert Archive
Wesleyan

A Targeted Killing in a Campus Bookstore Triggers an Overnight Manhunt and Full Lockdown

CTshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On May 6, 2009, Johanna Justin-Jinich, a 21-year-old junior, was shot and killed inside the Red and Black Cafe in Broad Street Books, the Wesleyan University campus bookstore. The shooter, Stephen Morgan, 29, fled the scene. Because the suspect remained at large, the university placed the entire campus on lockdown overnight, with meals delivered to dormitories. Morgan surrendered to police in Meriden, Connecticut, the following evening.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
0
Institution
Wesleyan University
Private Liberal Arts · CT
~3,200 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction283 chars
A shooting has occurred at Broad Street Books on the Wesleyan campus. The suspect has not been apprehended. All students are instructed to remain inside their residences and remain vigilant. Lock your doors and do not leave your buildings until further notice. Campus is on lockdown.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The suspect fled the scene immediately, creating an extended lockdown situation
Wesleyan is a small campus of about 3,200 students in Middletown, Connecticut
Students were confined to dormitories with meals delivered to each building during the manhunt
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction299 chars
The campus lockdown remains in effect. Police have identified a suspect in the shooting at Broad Street Books. The suspect is not in custody. All students must remain in their residences. Middletown Police and Connecticut State Police are conducting an active search. Do not attempt to leave campus.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The extended lockdown with an at-large suspect tested Wesleyan's ability to sustain a shelter-in-place order over many hours
The suspect was identified as Stephen Morgan of Marblehead, Massachusetts
FOLLOW-UPWebsite
Verified verbatimPresident Michael S. Roth's official blog 'Roth on Wesleyan,' post titled 'Tragedy and Security'867 chars
As most readers of this blog will know, Wesleyan has suffered an unspeakable loss. Johanna Justin-Jinich was shot to death while at work at the Red and Black Cafe on the corner of William and High Streets. Police have reasons to believe that the alleged gunman, now identified as Stephen Morgan, had known the victim in the past. They also have evidence of his hostility to the Wesleyan community, and to Jews, as expressed in his personal writings. We are in mourning, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Johanna's friends and family. My office and our emergency team is also focused on keeping our community safe. We are working closely with the Middletown Police Department, and I am very grateful for their assistance. Classes are over, and we have canceled all special events. We are deploying additional security and instructing students to remain indoors.
Posted on May 7, 2009 — the day after the shooting and before Morgan's surrender that night
President Roth was the first university president to publicly identify Morgan's antisemitic motive, citing 'his hostility to the Wesleyan community, and to Jews, as expressed in his personal writings'
The post served as both an emotional address and a directive, ordering students to 'remain indoors' and confirming the cancellation of all special events
Roth's blog was used as an official communication channel — an early example of presidential blogging during a campus emergency
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction243 chars
The suspect in yesterday's shooting at Broad Street Books has been taken into custody by Meriden Police. The campus lockdown has been lifted. Classes will resume on Friday, May 8. Counseling services are available at the Davison Health Center.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Morgan surrendered at the Meriden Police Department at 9:14 p.m. on May 7
The lockdown lasted approximately 30 hours from the shooting to the all-clear
Classes were cancelled for two days during the lockdown and manhunt
Context

Background

The Wesleyan University shooting was unusual for several reasons. It was a targeted killing motivated by antisemitic hatred rather than a random mass shooting. The victim, Johanna Justin-Jinich, had filed a harassment complaint against Stephen Morgan in 2007 after they took a summer course together at NYU. Morgan had sent harassing emails and phone calls. Two years later, he disguised himself with a wig and shot her seven times at close range in the campus bookstore. The extended manhunt that followed tested Wesleyan's ability to sustain a lockdown for over 24 hours. As a small liberal arts college, Wesleyan's emergency infrastructure was far less developed than that of large R1 universities. The incident demonstrated that targeted violence and hate-motivated attacks could strike even small, insular campus communities. Morgan's journal entries revealed explicit antisemitic intent, and the case was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2011.
Analysis

Key Findings

A 30-hour lockdown tested the limits of sustained campus shelter-in-place operations at a small liberal arts college
The shooting was a targeted, hate-motivated killing rather than a random mass casualty event
Wesleyan's small size (3,200 students) made meal delivery to dormitories feasible during the extended lockdown
The case highlighted that prior warning signs (the 2007 harassment complaint) did not prevent the eventual attack
Outcome
Stephen Morgan surrendered to Meriden police at 9:14 p.m. on May 7, 2009. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2011. Investigators found journal entries expressing intent to 'kill Jews and go on killing spree at this school,' along with a copy of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in his motel room.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Student shot dead at Wesleyan - Yale Daily News
    yaledailynews.com
  2. News
    Wesleyan University Shooting Suspect Turns Himself In - ABC News
    abcnews.go.com
  3. News
    Notebook: 'Kill Johanna. She must Die' - CNN
    cnn.com
  4. Official
    Tragedy and Security - Roth on Wesleyan (President's Blog)
    roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu
Tags
shootingtargeted-killinghate-crimeantisemiticliberal-arts-collegeextended-lockdownmanhunt2009
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion