Philadelphia’s medical examiner’s office has ruled the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old student from last month as a homicide and made an arrest, following a 12-day investigation that concluded Friday.

Officer Leeloni Palmiero, a Philadelphia Police spokeswoman, said the city medical examiner’s office determined that the death of Agatha Hall—whose name was released today—was a homicide because of the position of her body when police found her and the angle at which the bullet traveled through her head, Palmiero said.

According to a press release from Philadelphia Police’s Public Affairs department, testing conducted last Thursday revealed it would have been “impossible” for the victim’s gunshot to be “self-inflicted.”

Palmiero previously told The Temple News that officers responded to a radio call from the 2300 block of N. Park Avenue early Aug. 31. When they arrived and entered Hall’s apartment, they found her lying on her bedroom floor with a handgun under her hand, and a bullet hole in the ceiling. Paramedics pronounced her dead at around 12:35 a.m.

The motive for the shooting was an argument, and police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection to the incident, Palmiero said Wednesday. According to a press release, Brandon Meade, who lives on the 7100 block of Stockley Road in Upper Darby, has been arrested and charged with the murder of Hall.

Philadelphia Police—who were initially treating the shooting as a suicide—re-classified the case after the department’s Homicide Unit determined it was “suspicious.”

According to her LinkedIn page, Hall was a finance major, and was set to graduate later this year. She previously graduated from Northeast High School in 2011.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

POLICE ARREST THREE IN CONNECTION TO ARMED ROBBERY

Police have arrested two men in connection to an armed robbery that occurred on Norris Street near 17th early Monday morning—one of whom fired at officers before being apprehended.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said 22nd District officers arrested one of the suspects after he came out of his house on Lehigh Avenue near 15th Street. The second suspect was arrested after he fired shots at officers while they were identifying the first male, he added.

A third man was arrested around 1:30 a.m. Sunday because he might be associated with the pair of suspects arrested Monday, Leone said. He and one of the men arrested Monday are juveniles, so their names and information will not be released, he added.

Leone said the second man arrested Monday might have been an adult, and is looking into information on that suspect.

A TU Alert was sent out about Monday’s robbery at around 2:15 a.m. Leone said that around 2 a.m., a student and non-student were walking on Norris Street when two men approached them. One of the men showed a black handgun and told the two to “give me everything,” Leone said. He added that after they gave the suspects their cell phones, the robbers fled west on Norris Street, and then north on 17th Street.

-Steve Bohnel

SEXUAL ASSAULTS REPORTED

Two sexual assaults were reported on Main Campus last week involving students.

In the first incident, which was reported Sept. 7, a female student reported a sexual assault to Temple Police that occurred Sept. 1 at 1813 17th St. There was alcohol involved and the victim knew the suspect, a male student, said Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone.

Another sexual assault was reported on Sept. 8. A female student reported a sexual assault to Temple Police that occurred on May 7 on 15th street near Oxford. The victim knew the suspect, a male student, Leone said.

Leone added that police are awaiting the victim’s decision on how to best move forward.

-Jack Tomczuk

U.S. DROPS CHARGES AGAINST PHYSICS PROFESSOR

Xiaoxing Xi, the Temple professor accused of sharing trade secrets with Chinese scientists, had all charges against him dropped last week.

The former chairman of the physics department was arrested in May and charged with four counts of wire fraud for disclosing technology secrets to organizations in China. He faced a maximum fine of $1 million and 80 years in prison.

The technology prosecutors accused Xi of sharing was about a device he developed to grow superconductive films from magnesium diboride. These thin films allow computers to run more effectively.

Xi, a U.S. citizen born in China, came to Temple in 2009 following a stint as a physics professor at Pennsylvania State University.

The Justice Department dropped the charges due to a lack of substantive evidence, according to a report by the New York Times.

“I don’t expect them to understand everything I do,” Xi told the Times. “But the fact that they don’t consult with experts and then charge me? Put my family through all this? Damage my reputation? They shouldn’t do this. This is not a joke. This is not a game.”

The article in the Times suggests the government is targeting Chinese-born scientists as potential spies. Charges were also dropped in an Ohio case that implicated hydrologist Sherry Chen of stealing information and sharing it with Chinese officials.

-Jack Tomczuk

FORMER COP TO GREET POPE

The partner of a Philadelphia Police officer who was killed in the line of duty northwest of Main Campus in September 2008 will represent the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in greeting the Pope when he arrives in the United States.

Richard Bowes, a member of St. Christopher’s Church in Somerton, was told the news at a Sunday mass, said Stephanie Brophy, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Bowes, along with his wife Bernadette and three children, will greet the Pope at Atlantic Aviation at Philadelphia International Airport Sept. 26 when Pope Francis arrives, Brophy said.

“The local parishes were looking to see if there are any families close to their parishes,” she said. “And the Bowes were one of the first to come to mind.”

Bowes was a member of the Highway Division of Philadelphia Police in September 2008, Brophy said. His partner, Patrick McDonald, stopped 27-year-old Daniel Giddings at 17th and Dauphin streets before a foot chase ensued, 6ABC reported. McDonald was fatally shot on Colorado Street near Susquehanna Avenue, while Bowes was shot in the leg near McDonald’s patrol car on 17th Street near Susquehanna.

-Steve Bohnel

CITY COUNCIL INTRODUCES ORDINANCE FOR GENDER-NEUTRAL BATHROOMS

City Council introduced legislation Thursday seeking to increase the number of gender-neutral restrooms throughout Philadelphia.

First District Councilman Mark Squilla introduced the ordinance, which would require current and future privately-owned single-stall restrooms to be designated gender-neutral.

“All people, regardless of gender identification, deserve to be able to meet their basic needs with dignity and safety,” Squilla said. “As Philadelphia prepares for the World Meeting of Families and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, both of which will be watched by the world, we should send a message declaring that all people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, are welcome.”

Philadelphia officials will increase awareness about the legislation by using the hashtag #freetoPHL. If City Council passes the legislation and the mayor signs it into law, this hashtag will also be used to alert people which facilities are not complying with the legislation, as well as those who are in compliance.

-Steve Bohnel

The first Temple Student Government general assembly of the year convened Monday afternoon to introduce the new senior leadership team, as well as TSG committee directors.

The meeting opened with TSG’s mission statement, which promised to “provide a representative government to the student body.”

Student body president Ryan Rinaldi said general assemblies will be structured differently this year. Organization representatives will select one out of nine committees to join with during meetings and work towards the goal of making progress within that committee.

“We want [the assembly] to take an active approach this year,” Rinaldi said.

There will also be an overarching theme of each meeting, like that of Monday’s meeting: focus.

Director of Student Engagement Dr. Carmen Phelps outlined upcoming events for The Burrow, a new multicultural center for students on 2026 N. Broad St.

Owl Talk Tuesdays will be held every Tuesday in The Burrow or in another designated location. Owl Talks will be student-led discussions about current events and topics relating to understanding diversity and multiculturalism.

“It’s an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas,” Phelps said.

The kickoff event at The Burrow is Sept. 8.

Another upcoming event is a Labor Day picnic on Sept. 7, organized by project coordinator for campus safety, Captain Eileen Bradley. Temple students, faculty and staff are invited to a cookout with the community on 15th and Page streets.

TSG is also seeking a publicist, a director of local and community affairs and a webmaster. Applicants are encouraged to apply via email to speaker of the house Jacob Scheiner (jacob.scheiner@temple.edu) or secretary Mack Caruso (mack.caruso@temple.edu).

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

NON-TEMPLE SHOOTING REPORTED

A 42-year-old man with no connection to Temple was shot early Sunday morning on Chadwick Street near Susquehanna, police said.

The man flagged down a Temple Police officer around 2 a.m. Monday, saying he had been shot in the rear thigh, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said. He was transported to Temple University Hospital.

Leone said police are searching for a suspect described as a man last seen wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans.

-Jack Tomzcuk

POLICE INVESTIGATING TWO SEXUAL ASSAULTS

Two sexual assaults involving Temple students were reported on Main Campus in the last three weeks.

A female student reported an incident Aug. 21 that occurred in May 2013 involving her partner in Elmira Jeffries, an apartment complex on 15th Street near Jefferson. The male suspect was implicated in January for an incident involving an “abusive relationship,” Capt. Edward Woltemate of the Investigations Unit said.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said the second incident, which occurred Aug. 23, involved a reported sexual assault of a female student by a male student.

The man called police while having intercourse with the woman because she was feeling ill from intoxication, Leone said. After recovering, she reported the sexual assault. Leone said no charges have been filed, and the investigation is still ongoing.

-Jack Tomczuk

SIX TEMPLE COPS GRADUATE

Six Temple Police officers graduated from the police academy in a ceremony Friday at the Temple Performing Arts Center.

Karen Brinkley, Omair Chughtai, Patrick Davis, Jamal McClean, Kevin Myslinski and Darnell Ross became part of the Philadelphia Police Academy’s 372nd class.  In addition to the six Temple Police graduates, 67 members of the Philadelphia Police Department graduated, as well as two Philadelphia Housing Authority Recruits.

-Jack Tomczuk