Southern scholarships go to slain student's sons
BATON ROUGE, La. - BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The three young sons of a Southern University student who was killed last month have been presented with full scholarships by the school.
Michael Bailey, a 26-year-old senior engineering major, was shot and killed Oct. 4 near a housing project in San Francisco. The San Francisco Police Department said Bailey was on a weekend trip with friends.
Bailey's wife and mother fought back tears while accepting the scholarship certificates for his 3-year-old twins, Derrin and Devin, and 2-year-old Michael Jr., on Tuesday.
Bailey's wife, Deonne, said the couple had fallen in love as Southern students. She says she is proud her sons may be able to follow in her husband's footsteps at the school through the offer of free tuition.
Police haven't charged anyone in Bailey's death. Deonne Bailey said the investigation is ongoing.
Police in San Francisco told reporters there that they initially arrested a woman they believed lured Bailey and his friends to a robbery, but prosecutors released her because of a lack of evidence.
According to police reports, Bailey and his friends met the woman at a club, and she asked for a ride home because she had lost her car keys. They drove the woman at about 3 a.m. to a housing project, where several robbers were waiting.
During a confrontation, one of them shot Bailey.
Besides being an electrical engineering senior, husband and father, Bailey also worked as a baggage technician and a ground security coordinator for Mesaba Airlines, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines operating out of Baton Rouge's Metro Airport.
Southern College of Engineering Dean Habib Mohamadian said he remembers Bailey excitedly discussing plans for his senior electrical engineering projects.
"He was a very beloved individual in our college, and we were proud to have him, even for a short period of time," Mohamadian said.
The private, nonprofit Southern University System Foundation has pledged to fund the scholarships for Bailey's sons if they qualify and decide to attend Southern when they grow older.
"We have mixed emotions, but we're going to carry on the traditions of Southern University," said Walter Dumas, president of the foundation's Board of Directors.
Southern University System interim President Kassie Freeman said the scholarships "ensure the legacy of Michael Bailey by ensuring the future education of his three sons."
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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com
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