UPDATE: Tallahassee Police have issued an arrest warrant for Don Crandall, Jr., for "improper exhibition of a firearm." They don't know his whereabouts right now.
Three Florida A&M students who happen to be melanin-enriched were waiting outside a student residence for their friend let them in to attend a party. Along comes Don, who lets his racist ass show by telling the students they aren't getting into the building, as he let himself in, and locks them out. Just to put the finest of points on it, he comes back out to argue with them some more, and let them know, AGAIN, that he was not letting them into the building. (He lied and claimed he was a resident. Oh, Don. You're like, 48 or something. You're not a resident.)
A student comes along who IS a resident, and happens to be melanin-deficient. He speaks up for his fellow students, and argues with Don, asking him what he is doing there. Don announces he is "going to get laid." (Ew.) More angry words are traded back and forth, and eventually, the 4th student shows HIS key and allows them all in the building. 4th student is a solid dude, straight up.
Well, now, Don is in a pickle, and decides he is entitled to the elevator all to himself. He uses his body to block the other students from getting on the elevator. He challenges them, asking if they had a key, and the 4th student, of course, does have a key. They challenge Don as to his key status. Here's where the potential crime comes in. Not only does he pull out a key from his back pocket, but he also pulls out a gun. See video below.
So, in the same hand he uses to pull out his key to show these four college students, three of whom are Black, he is also holding a gun and telling them they cannot get on the elevator. It's at that point, as you can see and hear in the video, things get scary for these kids. One of the Black students continues engaging Don, calmly and bravely, asking him, "Sir, you brought out your gun, what was the purpose of that?" Don puts his gun away, fakes an apology, but Isiah Butterfield, the student filming, backs way the hell up, saying, "A gun? A GUN?... N*gger gonna get shot. You know white people be shooting Black people and getting away with that sh*t." And he's NOT WRONG. See any newspaper, any day in America.
Fortunately no one is shot, and the incident is resolved without violence, apparently. Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we learn Don's identity. Stadium Center student housing confirmed Don Crandall was NOT a resident, and also that firearms on the property is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, the viral video prompts police to begin an investigation into Crandall for aggravated assault. Oh, Don. Could things get worse for him? I hope so. I mean, I wonder how things in his marriage are now that his wife probably knows he was at a college dorm to get laid?
WELL LOOKIE HERE! It's as if the gods themselves hear my prayer! Our Don, who was employed as General Manager of a local Wyndham hotel, is no longer employed there!
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm sure employees and customers of that hotel will be relieved to know Black people will now be allowed to enter the building, ride the elevators, and that Don Crandall no longer holds the master key to their college-aged daughters' hotel rooms.
