SU awards full tuition to slain student’s sons

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 25, 2009 - Page: 1B

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Southern University officials were filled with mixed emotions Tuesday as full scholarships were awarded to the three children of senior engineering major Michael Bailey, who was slain last month.

Bailey’s wife and mother fought back tears while accepting the scholarship certificates for his 3-year-old twins, Derrin and Devin, and for 2-year-old Michael Jr., all three of whom wore matching suits.

“We were campus sweethearts (at Southern),” said Bailey’s wife, Deonne, who paused to compose herself.

“We fell in love here. We always talked about our dreams and ambitions, and education was always a priority.”

She said she is proud her sons may be able to follow in Michael’s footsteps as Southern Jaguars with the bonus offer of free tuition.

Bailey’s mother, Theresa, described her son as a motivated handyman who never let her pay anyone to get repairs done around the house.

“I’m happy because I’m glad he was loved by everyone the way he was,” said Theresa Bailey, who said her son’s death is still sinking in. “He was accomplishing a lot.”

Bailey, 26, was shot and killed Oct. 4 near a housing project in San Francisco.

Bailey was on a weekend trip with friends, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Police haven’t charged anyone in Bailey’s death. The investigation is ongoing, Deonne Bailey said.

Police initially arrested a woman they believed lured Bailey and his friends to a robbery, but prosecutors released her because of a lack of evidence, police officers reported to San Francisco media.

Bailey and his friends met the woman at a club, and she asked for a ride home because she had lost her car keys, according to police reports.

They drove the woman at about 3 a.m. to a housing project, where several robbers were waiting.