A&M students react to attack on Northgate

By: Travis Measley

Posted: 4/10/07

Texas A&M students, family and friends continue to reel from the stabbing of a Rice University basketball player and his twin brother, a former A&M student.

The brothers, Janson and Jonathan Bailey, were involved in an altercation Thursday morning at V-Bar on Northgate with two other men. When the four were removed from the bar, the fighting continued outside, and both Bailey brothers suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest. Jonathan did not survive the incident, but Janson was rushed to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Janson was released Monday.

The twins, who graduated from West Brook High School in Beaumont, were both star basketball players and were involved in school and community activities.

"I was talking to Jonathan just two days ago," West Brook basketball coach Sam Simon told the Beaumont Enterprise Thursday. "They were like sons. I got the message this morning. It's quite a shock to me."

West Brook Assistant Principle Nancy Flores told KFDM-TV that the twins were always together, like two peas in a pod. Flores remembered them as well known within the school and said they were good people to be around.

Many students at A&M are still in shock at what happened.

"Bar fights happen, but when someone pulls a knife out, that's a totally different story," said Matthew Fenelon, a freshman accounting major. "Why would you ever do that?"

Fenelon said he thought V-Bar should have done more than just throw those involved out of the bar. Calling the police or keeping an eye on them while they were outside might have prevented the stabbing from happening, Fenelon added.

"The whole thing makes me a little sick," said Jessica Story, a sophomore sports management major. "It makes me question V-Bar's integrity, why they didn't involve the police - it could have been stopped. Anything can happen when alcohol is involved. They should have called the cops."

Some students said that after an incident such as this, their attitudes about V-Bar and about Northgate in general were altered.

"Although something like that won't scare me away from going to Northgate, we all have to be so much more aware of everything around us," Fenelon said. "Now we have to be ready to react to anything."

Kristen Benkendorfer, a junior accounting major, said that while it is frightening that the incident happened, it could not have been easily prevented.

"It's shocking that it happened so close to home, in our own sheltered bubble that is College Station," Benkendorfer said. "The kids should have been followed outside and checked on, but it can't be the bar's fault. (The bar employees) can't know what will happen when they let people in."

V-Bar was open again Thursday night, the day after the stabbing, as well Friday night, but an employee at a neighboring bar told The Eagle that business seemed slow, and that workers moved slowly to get the bar open behind closed curtains shortly after 9 p.m.

Police arrested 23-year-old Marine Ronald Andrew Johnson on Thursday on charges of murder. Lt. Mark Langwell of the College Station Police Department said Johnson posted the $200,000 bail this weekend and was released.