$500 reward offered for tips on Berkey Hall fireworks scare

Elizabeth O’Malley never used to skip her favorite class in Berkey Hall.

She never used to jump when doors slammed or people yelled.

And she never would have purposely skipped the MSU vs. Michigan football game with tickets in hand.

But O’Malley has done each of those things in the past month — all because of fireworks set off by an unknown suspect in Berkey Hall on Oct. 30 which sent hundreds of panicked students out of the building and left O’Malley with a radial head fracture.

MSU police were mostly commended for their quick response to the fireworks and have been investigating the incident but have come up empty.

“At this point, we have no leads,” MSU police Sgt. Dan Beachnau said. “Most of the people were in the classrooms. We can’t find anyone that saw the suspect at the time.”

As a result, O’Malley’s family and Crime Stoppers are offering a $500 reward for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the Berkey Hall fireworks scare.

“By offering this reward, maybe we’ll make people stop and think and say, ‘Hey, wait, I do remember somebody saying this or I do remember so and so playing with firecrackers and I’ll call in and pass it on,’” said O’Malley’s father, Jack O’Malley, who was on campus Wednesday hanging reward fliers.

“We ask (police) to do a lot of work and investigate things, but I do believe it’s not the police against criminals. The police and the public have to work together.”

When Elizabeth O’Malley heard six or seven loud bangs in Berkey Hall one month ago, she escaped through a first-floor classroom window. O’Malley tumbled 10 feet, diving head-first from the building she believed was under siege from a gunman.

She expects her elbow to be immobilized until at least Christmas.

Elizabeth O’Malley said she was one of a group of students who decided not to attend the MSU vs. U-M football game, which was played four days after the incident.

“We just didn’t feel safe or comfortable going, which was a drag because we’re big football fans and that’s the game we’re not going to miss,” the psychology and human resources senior said.

“You have to be pretty freaked out to do that.”

The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on possible charges that could be filed against a suspect, saying any guess would be pure speculation. Jack O’Malley said he expects those responsible for the scare to be prosecuted.

“In this case, this person scared a lot of people and seriously injured one, and it happened to be my daughter,” he said.

“And I don’t appreciate it.”

Published on Wednesday, November 28, 2007