By Brendan Browne
The trial of Christopher Prince, who is accused of shooting and partially paralyzing a St. John’s University football star during an altercation in March of last year, was expected to begin late this week, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Prince, 22, of Elmont in Nassau County, allegedly shot Cory Mitchell in the spine with a 9 mm pistol after an argument in a nearby bar was continued on the university’s Jamaica campus. He is charged with three counts of attempted murder, reckless endangerment, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Rashon Fray, who, like Prince, is not a student, was also shot in the right leg during the fight, but was not seriously hurt. Mitchell, a linebacker for the Red Storm, and Fray are expected to testify against Prince who, if convicted, could face up to 25 years in prison.
Police say the melee began during a party hosted by the St. John’s Track and Field team at Traditions, a bar on Hillside Avenue where Mitchell, 23, worked part time as a bouncer. Mitchell and his friend allegedly got into a fight with a group, which included Prince.
When Mitchell's group headed back to campus, Prince and his friends followed in their car and were able to get past the university’s only open gate guarded by security at Utopia Parkway, police alleged. An argument ensued near St. John’s newly built residence halls and Prince allegedly fired five shots into a crowd, hitting Mitchell and Fray.
Halim McNeil, 19, a sophomore at the time, who also plays on the football team, arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting.
“I was talking to him. I held his hand and put a jacket over him,” McNeil said at the time of the shooting. “He said he couldn’t feel his legs. I thought he was going to die. Thank God he didn’t.”
Jason Della Rosa, 19, also a St. John’s sophomore last March, showed up at the scene about 10 minutes after the incident. At the time, he expressed reservations about the safety of the campus after the shooting.
“I’m surprised it took this long for something like this to happen,” he said. “It’s relatively easy to get in here.” The entrance to the schools remains the same 14 months later.
Mitchell, a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica and Fray was taken to New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, police said. At the time, Mitchell, a senior, was taking the semester off and preparing for the birth of his first child.
Mitchell has been in rehabilitation at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla and Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains.
Jury selection was continuing this week and the trial will be held in Long Island City.
You can reach reporter Brendan Browne by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 155.
