Kendall Berry

FIU junior running back Kendall Berry was fatally stabbed just a short time ago on campus. More details to come.

KB was 22.

Comments

[Jovanna]

This is completely unacceptable! The FIU police station is literally two buildings down from the rec center! They need better security and cameras at FIU. There have been rape cases at FIU in the past. This honestly is only the beginning. Things are really going to spiral out of control with the students. Something has to be done. We should feel safe at school. FIU can definitely lose students because of incidents such as this.

Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fiusports/2010/03/kendall-berry.html#ixzz0jFXGPotG

[kjharris02]

OMG....RIP KB; Prayers go out to the FIU Football team/players/coaches and KB Parents!!! As a mom of #86 Harris, this saddens me deeply! I feel for him he is so saddd. I hope they find out who did this!

[Alonzo]

Dude,

"This honestly is only the beginning"?

Stop being so dramatic and get real. The sky isn't falling. Go find your mom, take some deep breaths, and continue repeating to yourself that everything is going to be OK.

[alt7787]

WHAT!!!!! Oh god damn it.

This is all because of the damn fair! Too many people on FIU's campus that dont need to be on there.

Kendall. Im so sorry this happened. You will be missed.

[DanielF]

Every time the Youth Fair starts violent crimes happen at FIU I'm sick and tired of this bull crap, Miami-Dade County Fair is going to have to do something about this, every year people trying to break into the dorms and stuff. WTH is going on? This is unacceptable.

[cabin001]

This is devastating news...the world just lost another young kid. My thoughts and prayers are with Kendall's family and friends. I hope whoever committed this horrible crime rots in jail for the rest of their life.

[FIUer]

Agreed on the youth fair comment, obviously unsure if this incident is related, but when I was at FIU it always seemed like something was happening when the youth fair was on grounds. The fair needs to be relocated away from schools or our university.

[FIU observer]

RIP, hope they find the perpetrator soon. The crowd at the youth fair is definitely not good this is true there seems to be a correlation between incidents at FIU and the youth fair. They have to move the Fair out of there...

[Jovanna]

It's human nature to act in distress in these kind of situations. People are going to make a show of this. That's why I'm saying it's only the beginning of other problems/affairs to come... People aren't going to just let this pass by. This is a well known football player. People are going to act out of anger, fear, tact, and love.

I'm just saying there have to be changes made.

[JulesFIU07]

I feel so bad for Kendall, his family, and the team. Kendall was really beginnig to show so much promise as a leader and player, and had the potential for a great future. It is a shame that his life was cut short, I hope that whoever did this is caught.

While it seems this isn't related to the Youth Fair, I do agree that the Youth Fair has historically put FIU students at increased risk, and that it should be moved.

[FIUer]

Seems like this was over a girl, man what a waste of a life over petty sh*t...

http://cbs4.com/local/kendall.barry.fiu.2.1590781.html

[Jovanna]

wow are you serious?! -.-

[JulesFIU07]

Jovanna, you're being a little reactionary. This is an aberration, FIU does not have a history of violent incidents taking place on campus, though there are exceptions.

[J]

So sad.
Yes, it was over a girl. Nothing to do with the youth fair.

[alt7787]

I just cant help but think of the public's perception of FIU now. Prior to this we were known for the brawl, but now this.

Plus it was in front of the gym. I go there all the time. I was there yesterday and I was gonna go tomorrow. Its gonna be really somber there tomorrow.

[FIUChris]

I can't imagine worrying about FIU's public perception 3 hours after a student got stabbed. Talk about worrying about the wrong thing.

[FIUer]

Please alt, this has NOTHING to do with perception of FIU. This was a young man's life lost over a petty issue, recklessness without regard for life, nothing to do with FIU and everything to do with today's youth being utterly desensitized to valuing human life. This is an epidemic that only grazes most of our lives, until one day it hits closer to home.

[alt7787]

I realize that came off wrong. I apologize. That is a concern for the future though.

First the Pete/Miami Herald fiasco and now this. This has not been a good week for FIU fans.

[Grover Murrell]

Grover Murrell here with Bay News 9 in Tampa. Does anyone know how to get in touch with Kendall's parents of family here in the Bay Area. You can email me at Grover.Murrell@baynews9.com or call me 727-329-2400

[Quijote]

Sick to my stomach.

RIP Kendall Berry.

[DEVONSmom]

I am so very sorry to hear of this tragedy. My prayers to out to Kendall's family, friends, teammates, and the entire FIU community.

[FIU Fanatic]

Agreed....a young man's life was just cut short, due to (apparently) some arguments over a girl.

The only I can think of is what pain and grief the family, friends, coaching staff, fellow teammates, staff, etc., must be feeling. This is a major, MAJOR loss for KB's family and friends. Let's just focus on that, which is the important thing.....

May he rest in peace.....

[TBuck 2008 FIU Alumni]

I worked at the FIU rec center as a manager from 2004-2008. I could not imagine having to open those doors tomorrow morning and although the rec center was closed when it happen I could not imagine being there when it went down.

This is a very sad and shocking. My heart goes out to Kendall, his family and friends. My heart goes out to the FIU community.

I do believe that added security needs to be on campus. I was on that campus constantly and though I never felt true danger I was spooked at times and there was little security even seen near by. The university is growing at a quick rate and the presence of securtiy needs to be in larger numbers and more prominent.

Over a girl? Seriously. I hope that all involved are punished for such a terrible and tragic event. Nonsense!

The gates of heaven are open for you Kendall.

[Chris]

What FIU needs to do is instead of allowing the people of the youth fair to use the parking garages, double the security and not allow people to get in. I received an email that campus police was going to check the vehicles entering the dorms; all lies!! I got here around 8:30 and the gate was wide open and no security. A lot of people come from the fair were roaming around. Last year a person got mugged in front of the UPA early evening during the fair. I'm afraid to go out at night during this time. And now this?? The gym is always full of people and no one saw anything??? The police station is next door, wtf?? Speak up FIU, we need a better security!!!

[WW]

I can't even add anything other than what TBuck said. God bless his family.

I've always felt safe on campus even if certain areas aren't lit enough [ryder business building area near the law school, near the pond for example] but 40k students, sadly this happened.

[Chris]

"Agreed....a young man's life was just cut short, due to (apparently) some arguments over a girl.

The only I can think of is what pain and grief the family, friends, coaching staff, fellow teammates, staff, etc., must be feeling. This is a major, MAJOR loss for KB's family and friends. Let's just focus on that, which is the important thing.....

May he rest in peace....."

(agreed its a sad thing but this opened a pandora' box. The only focus should not be to grieve over him but to bring justice and arrest the person who did it. The motive was really stupid and who ever did it is missing a screw on his head. Besides the bigger picture here is that FIU security is never there when you need them and something needs to be done. And this things always happen during the youth fair when fiu security is either enjoying the fair themselves or at the gates moving traffic and forgetting the rest of the campus. )

[PantherPride]

Rest in peace Kendall. You will be missed greatly.

My condolences go out to Kendall's family and loved ones.

Heaven's got another stud running in it's backfield...

[Pistol pete]

The Youth Fair needs to go!!

[Shirley]

As an FIU mom, I don't like what I'm hearing about not enought security. I hope these blogs get to the right people and yes then something should be done to increase security, especially when they are operating a fair just next door to all the dorms. Please do what it takes to keep our students as safe as possible!

[FIUSM]

Press conference after Berry incident

Courtesy of FIU Student Media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnXcr0TTiO8

[JulesFIU07]

Shirley, FIU is a safe campus. The only time that there are any incidents is during the Youth Fair, when campus police are overtaxed due to the influx of people who do not belong on campus, and the fact that there are many who are up to no good.

[Shirley]

That's good to hear! I certainly hope you are right!

[DEVONSmom]

The word is that Kendall's girlfriend was going to give a ride to a guy. He threw some cookies in her face and she went inside the rec center to get Kendall. When he came out an argument ensued and then the stabbing. The guy who apparently did it is a former football walk-on who was later kicked off the team.

Are the young people of today never going to learn that death is permanent and killing someone in an argument does not measure your manhood?????????

[esteban688]

Man this sucks.... Was totally shocked to see this on ESPN.

[Jules]

As an FIU alumnus, I am deeply saddened, and just hope that Kendall's family and friends find strength and support to deal with this devastating blow.

Additionally, FIU must take a long look at its current policies regarding campus security, and see if any changes are needed.

[TrueBlue]

They need to release this bastards name and picture!!! what are they waiting for?

From what I heard his last name is Cooper and he is an ex walk on he is a black male around 6 feet tall and weighs around 220. Your free days are numbered. You made your bed so turn yourself in so you could lay in it. You took a brilliant life because you can't control yourself and respect a woman.

RIP Kendall "wild" Berry you are in a better place now
God bless your soul

[Phyllis McCall]

Where do we find the words to express this tragic loss? We are all deeply saddened by Kendall's death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kendall's family. The Football Team has lost one of their brothers. Kendall you will be remembered by all of us. Our condolences go out to the coaches, players and fans who got to see you shine on and off the football field.

Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fiusports/2010/03/kendall-berry.html#ixzz0jGRKXdqD

[ArrozConPollo]

I am shocked...RIP Kendall Berry, you will be missed...

[PA]

Ummm i do no see anything ESPN or anywhere saying was about a girl or anything yet? these inks are trash.. get a clue people! stop gossiping till we get true word!

[TheChampionUnderdog]

Absolutely tragic... Panther nation is in mourning.

[Max]

RIP Kendall. You will be missed.

[RLFIUMBA11]

As tragic as this incident was, I don't see how adding more security on campus would have stopped it. I do agree that now would be the best time to access any security concerns and see where improvements can be made and make whatever changes deemed necessary. The reality is that the campus is wide open and anyone can simply walk in and quite frankly do whatever they want. One suggestion I am going to make since I have been there lately is that more lighting is definitely needed on the North side of the library around the lake.

I do flat out agree that the Youth Fair needs to go. Only the local riffraff go there anyway. I remember when there was talk of FIU taking up that land for expansion purposes. Too bad those were only rumors.

May Kendall Berry rest in peace and may positive outcomes arise from such a tragic event.

[Baltimorepanther]

WOW, my condolences to Kendall Berry's family, to the team, his friend, coaches,and the rest of the GP family.
It is very sad to see a young life end before reaaching his potential. You will be missed, and I hope your memory and work ethic and be an inspiration to the lives that you touched.

[FIUDave]

Anyone remember a couple of years ago when there was a murder during the Fair at the Shell on SW 8th and 107th Ave. across from FIU? Whether Kendall's murder was related to the Fair or not, we who live and work at FIU MMC will never really feel safe, either for ourselves or our property, during the Fair. It's time for the county to strike a deal with FIU for the Fairgrounds land so we can use it for the campus, and send the Fair somewhere else. Hey, how about moving it to Tropical Park?

[maskaros]

Unbelievable, I hate that fair...it does nothing good for our University.

RIP KB, my thoughts and prayers are with KB's family, his football brothers and our University's community.

[FIUFan]

Cowards carry weapons. If you got a problem with someone, settle man-to-man.

This coward should have the book thrown at him.

FIU's campus needs to be more secure. There should be no wepaons of any kind on campus. Security should be priority number 1.

RIP #19

[Miri]

I really feel sad about this. My thoughts and prayers go out the Berry's family, the football players and coaches, and his friends.

[WhosHouse]

According to Greg Cote, Mario Cristobal has suspended spring practice indefinitely.

Has anybody else heard this?

[FIUPIKE]

This is absolutely senseless, I am totally stunned by this loss, by my sources...Kendall was a very good kid and had a bright future taken away from him by a low life with nothing positive to live for. THE POLICE NEED TO FIND THIS GUY ASAP - BEFORE HE REALIZES THAT SUICIDE IS THE BETTER OPTION THAN ROTTING IN JAIL. HE BETTER GET THE BOOK THROWN AT HIM !!!!

My condolences and prayers to his family, may god bless Kendall Berry and his family.

R.I.P. Kendall

[O'darris D'haiti #20]

This feel unreal. I sat next to him every day before practice. I don't know if there any words to describe this. I can't imagine what his family is going through. I don't even know what to type.....

[Miri]

Whoshouse: I've heard the same thing too.

D'haiti, please know that we are praying for all of you to stay strong through this difficult time. I'm sending you all my love and support.

[FIUFan]

You're right OD; it is unreal.

Pres. Rosenburg needs to lock-down the campus over the week-end and do a thorough top-down search of the campus for anything that looks like a weapon.

He also needs to keep all Fair traffic off of FIU's campus. Beyond that he needs to put a very visable police presence at every entrance for the next month (not a search but a strong visible presence).

A very real message needs to be sent out, across campus, that we are taking this very, very seriously, and anyone who steps on that campus better be watching their p's & q's!

[LonePanther]

FIU needs to stop wasting resources on placing tickets all over campus and use those kids as a means for security.

It's absolutely ridiculous, there's about 3 or 4 patrol cars roaming around the campus. But there's about 20 - 30 traffic ticket issuers at any given time. What's almost embarrassing is that I'm sure FIU only issues citations in order to boost money. Not for safety, not for the good of the community, just for money. Safety should ALWAYS be priority, specially during the youth fair.

It's a sad day for all of us. Best wishes to Kendall's family.

[FIU Community]

Police Chief King:

Please persuade Miami-Dade police to stop at nothing until this piece of $hit is CAPTURED !!!

[Mo]

More security wouldn't have done the job here. As many students know, there isn't much lighting around the gym/stadium area. More lighting should be installed. I also think the Fair had something to do with it given that there are always complications and incidents when the Fair is in town. All of FIU is mourning your loss. He was a great kid both on and off the field.

RIP KB, you will be deeply missed.

[OwlFamily]

Condolnces from an FAU fan to his family, friends and the FIU Fanbase.

Always a tragedy when a young life is taken.

[FIUFan]

Mo, trust me, I'm not blaming security for this.

But Rosenberg better be thinking fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on ME!

[MiaCane]

You all need to calm down a bit. The loss of anybody is tragic, but I hate to burst your bubble on a few things. A) FIU does not "own" it's campus, it's a public school, those are public grounds. Just as it does not own the Fair Grounds. B) This happens at colleges occasionally, people die, people get killed, life moves on. I feel horribly sorry for those in Berry's life, and hope he finds peace, but this doesn't need to be overblown into some "Darfur is next!" type of commentary, where FIU is devolving into some warzone. It's just not, and reactionaries like you don't make things go any easier.

[FIURage]

This is very sad, Kendall Berry will be missed.

FIU #19 Panther for life.

[LonePanther]

I really doubt more lighting would've made much difference. Maybe more security cameras would've deterred him. That being said, it's obvious the other guy was a reckless fool.

The lack of security needs to be addressed. Specially during the time when the fair is in town. NO EXCUSES.

[JulesFIU07]

MiaCane, FIU does own its campus, as does any other state university. We don't need cops at every entrance, we don't need a show of force, what we do need a real security solutions.

Simply installing cameras with facial recognition and suspicious activity detection software in high traffic areas, combined with a slightly more visible uniformed presence, both on foot and on wheels, helps deter people from committing crimes. Our campus does not have a history of violent incidents, but a few changes to security would not hurt.

[Miri]

I agree that some areas are pretty dark to walk through at night, especially for a girl like me. I do agree that there needs to be more lighting and security cameras. However, things like this can happen anywhere at any time. :(

[FIUFan]

You're an idiot MiaCane. The FIU campus needs to be a place of study and improvement. This type of element should never have been on campus in the first place; carrying a weapon no less.

Darfur? only a moron would throw out such hyperbole in an attempt to try to make an intelligent comment.

For your information, the Dade County Youth Fair is going on in the adjacent premises. All kinds of characters frequent this event, good and bad. We don't need that stress on our campus, esp. right now.

Finally, this is not something that should 'go easy'. It should be a wake-up call that had better be heeded. It is also the perfect time for Mr. Rosenberg to make a statement about what kind of campus he expects it to be.

[Fiudazzlers@bellsouth.net]

Agreed on lighting and cameras. I had both side mirrors stolen from my suv last year during a basketball game while parked accross from the arena. Nothing they could do for me but report it. 700.00 later I now hate parking around that area and I am always aware of my surroundings while there.

My heart goes out to KB's family and friends.

[FIUer]

MiaCane = another scUM idiot posting idiocy.

[alt7787]

Realistically, the fair will not be going anywhere. FIU receives way too much support (financial and otherwise) from them to kick them out of the area they're currently occupying. Plus, FIU cant legally do that.

As for the calls for more security, its true that FIU lacks in the security department. However, it all comes down to funding. FIU simply does not have the resources to hire 500 police officers and purchase 100 cars to patrol campus. Better lighting and advanced camera systems would definitely have helped in this case and the President Rosenberg should make it a focus to improve in those areas.

I generally dont like the fair because of the people there. You know who. The Mia-305-till I die people, the local population of bottom feeders. I was thinking of going there on Sunday, but Im not so sure anymore. Honestly, Kendall's murder probably had nothing to do with the fair, but Im compelled to believe that all those people on campus diverted our security to the fair.

This sucks.

[Pantera Dorada]

My thoughts and prayers go out to Berry's family and friends. He is in a better place now.

[FIUFan]

'alt, I'm not saying the Fair should be removed (though I, like many here, don't like it on our main campus). I'm saying it should be quardened-off from the FIU campus and facilities. If The Fair uses our garages and parkeing areas, then the patrons should be lead to and from the fairgrounds on clearly marked paths. No mingling around any of our properties.

And as far as 500 police/100 cars, that's absurd. What I would like to see is a special dispensation from Miami-Dade PD, at our entrances, for the remainder of the semester and a more visible presence by our own security going forward.

Beyond that, additional lighting (esp. in areas that are frequented after normal class hours) and more strategically located cameras are a must.

[LocalFIU]

FIUFan, I agree with your idea of locking up the campus. Also Metro Dade HAS to get involved. Why isn't there more Metro Dade cops as we speak is insane. I'm sure more than one person saw what happened and they should be questioned for help.

The Fair might be part of the reason, but only very small. Before there was FIU, the fair already existed. The Fair donated a very large amount of land so FIU could become what it is today. The football stadium happened because of the Fair.

This is no time to point fingers because a human life has been wasted however lets get all the facts straight before we blog

[Gooch7]

All our players go out to the Berry family. Kendal "Wild" Berry is defenatly in a better place. So sad that a very YOUNG life has ended for a worthless reason.

I hope that when they catch this basterd they don't give him the usual 5-10 year sentence, but make him route in jail for the next 75 years..

God Bless you always Berry..

[Cobaltblu]

Gooch7, are you a college student? Your spelling is atrocious!

[chrisfiu]

What a tragedy. His family must be devastated. My thoughts and prayers are with them...RIP Kendall.

[Jean P]

As a UConn football fan, this story is all too sad and familiar. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Berry family and the FIU family.