By ThÇoden K. Janes
Arizona Daily Wildcat
University of Arizona football players Brandon Sanders and Derrick Stewart are being sought for questioning about a drive-by shooting that occurred early yesterday morning, a spokesman for the Tucson Police Department said last night.
According to police, the incident was prompted by an altercation involving the victims and the suspects that broke out at Paragon Nightclub, 144 W. Lester St. After the incident, the three victims Ÿ two males and one female Ÿ were driving near North Ninth Avenue and East Elm Street at about 12:55 a.m. when the suspects fired approximately five shots into the vehicle.
No one was hit by the gunfire, police said, but a male in the vehicle was taken to a hospital, treated for a minor head injury caused by broken glass and released.
Police were not sure how many people were in the suspects' car, but said there were at least two males.
Sanders, 22, a media arts senior, and Stewart, 23, a media arts junior, were being sought for questioning based on witnesses who said they could identify the two players as the suspects, police said.
Police and UA coach Dick Tomey expect the two will be questioned today.
"He (Sanders) was at the university all today and they (police) didn't come by to see him," Tomey said.
Sanders, a strong safety for the UA, told the Wildcat last night that he was "not allowed to talk about (the incident)."
Stewart did not return the Wildcat's calls to his pager.
A UA cornerback, Stewart also faces charges of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon and causing serious injury. The charges stem from a May 21 incident between the victim, an airman at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and another player's girlfriend.
Stewart entered a not guilty plea Sept. 12. Pre-trial motions were were heard Oct. 18, with the trial scheduled to begin next month.
Monty Phan contributed to this report.