WALLER COUNTY, Texas – Friends, family, and former schoolmates are breathing a collective sigh of relief after a task force identified and charged a suspect in the shooting death of 22 year old Darius Edwards, a former student and football player at Prairie View A&M University.
"We are all really shocked that this has happened to Darius," says Kresenda Foreman. "It's been really quiet around here and it's really different not seeing him."
Dwayne Anthony Henry, 23, was taken into custody weeks after Darius Matthew Edwards, 22, was killed April 7 at a party in Waller County.
Investigators say Henry is the person who shot Edwards multiple times at a party in Hempstead last month. Hundreds had gathered in a pasture just north of the Prairie View campus that night. Authorities say they traced the murder to Henry who was already in the Harris County Jail on a murder warrant for a killing in Stockton, California.
Henry is being held at the Harris County jail with no bond, deputies said.
According to the Waller County Sheriff's Office, a large party was being held in the 23300 block of FM 1098. It was an after-party off campus following a "Hump Night" party, which was held on campus.
At that party, an altercation occurred and someone opened fire.
Edwards was shot several times. The victim was taken to Bellville St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"It's like relief because so many people were so close to Darius," says friend Armani Boxley. "Darius was a very nice person, and very open, and genuine."
His friend, Ke'Tara Wells, said she was not at the party, but a friend of hers who was there described what happened as Edwards' friends tried to rush him to a hospital.
"She remembered the team picking his body up, putting him in the back of the truck and they drove off. And she said they tried to call the police but they didn’t come until after,” Wells said.
Law enforcement sources tell Channel 2 News they have not identified a suspect or suspects in the shooting. They also tell us Edwards had been involved in an altercation on campus last week that was under investigation by PVAMU police at the time of his death. The deadly shooting is believed to have been continuation of that fight.
Edwards left the PVAMU football team due to injury in 2011. He has not been a student since 2012.
In addition, Channel 2 has learned Edwards worked at a Walmart in Hempstead.
With the shooting happening so close to the campus, students are left on edge. Wells is a recent graduate of PVAMU and have friends who are currently attending classes and live on campus.
“That campus is on lockdown right now. No one can get into that campus, no one can get into their apartment complex and I would know because I had to go through that,” Wells said.
Wells said Edwards was a good friend and a great father.
“It didn’t matter what he was going through he just always had a smile on his face and that was one thing he always encouraged people to do. Always have a smile on your face and always make fun out of life,” Wells said.
Students have flooded social media angered over the shooting, asking for Edwards' killer to be caught.They are using hashtags #StopTheSilence #DariusEdwards #PVNation to raise awareness.
Investigators identified the producers of the party this afternoon.
Edwards was killed just four weeks ago and his former classmates, who are in the middle of final exams, say his death still weighs heavily on their hearts. What they miss the most is his smile and jovial personality, but they're thankful someone will be held accountable for that loss.
"A friend, a family member, a brother, a cousin has been taken away from us," says Jasmin Washington. "All we really want is justice."