No word on motive in UConn player's death

ROCKVILLE, Conn., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A minor altercation at a campus dance precipitated the stabbing death of University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Prosecutor Matthew Gedansky said during the arraignment of suspects John Lomax III and Hakim Muhammad in Superior Court in Rockville that the pair left the dance after the minor incident, "armed themselves with weapons" and went back, setting the stage for the fatal Oct. 18 encounter with Howard, The Hartford Courant reported. It wasn't clear who was involved in the initial confrontation.

Police arrested them, along with a third suspect Tuesday. A fourth individual was arrested last week.

Lomax, 21, of Bloomfield, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Muhammad, 20, also of Bloomfield, is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Jamal Todd, 21, of Hartford is charged with falsely reporting an incident and reckless endangerment for allegedly pulling a fire alarm at the dance. A fourth suspect, John Fitzgerald Hood, 21, of Hartford, was arrested last week on charges of interfering with police and breach of peace.

Lomax was being held on $2 million bail until another hearing Nov. 13, and bail for Muhammad was reduced to $450,000 with his next court date set for Nov. 20. The other two are free after posting bail.

UConn officials announced plans Wednesday to pay tribute to Howard at the school's home football game against Rutgers and fans will be able to donate to funds set up in his memory.