Jose A. Bonilla, the suspected gunman in the Oct. 16 off-campus shootings, plead not guilty to four charges at a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

The 17-year-old is charged with one count of first-degree reckless injury while armed, two counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety while armed and one count of second degree recklessly endangering safety while armed. If convicted, Bonilla faces up to 80 years in prison and up to $175,000 in fines.

Bonilla is the fourth and final suspect in the shootings that injured two Marquette College of Business Administration seniors and Tony Keovongsack, 17, another suspect in the case. Of the four suspects, Bonilla's charges are the most severe.

Appearing in court as witnesses were the two College of Business Administration seniors who were injured, Shane Gale and Thomas "T.J." Gannon, College of Business Administration senior Scott Sengpiel and Milwaukee Police Detective Billy Ball.

Private attorney Michael Plaisted, a former state public defender, represented Bonilla.

The witnesses called to the stand were asked to recount the night of the shootings. Each detailed the suspects' arrival at the house and their fervent attempts to enter the party.

When the four suspects were not allowed into the party, the Marquette students asked them to leave but the suspects persisted, the witnesses testified. They even offered fighting their way in or paying $20 to gain entry to the party. Shots were fired after the suspects were repeatedly denied entry to the party, the witnesses said.

Throughout the hearing, Plaisted referred to the four suspects as "the Hispanic males," "the Latino males" or "the Hispanics" when cross-examining the four witnesses.

"Did you hear anyone at that time say anything related to the fact that they were Latino or their race?" Plaisted asked Gale.

"No," he answered.

"Did you hear anything at all that night, regarding their race or the fact that they were Latino? I'm talking about until the time you were shot…"

"I have no idea," Gale said.

"You have no idea?" Plaisted asked.

"No."

"You didn't hear it?" he asked again.

"That they were Latino? No."

Plaisted sighed heavily, then proceeded:

"You know what a racial slur is, right? You know, when people are being called names because of their race?"

"Right," said Gale.

"Did you hear anything like that before you were shot at?" Plaisted asked.

"No."

"They didn't say anything like that, before they were shot?"

Gale insisted none of the Marquette students made any racial comments and that was not the reason they were denied entry into the party.

Plaisted also probed for details about the exact moment of the shooting:

"Do you remember the moment you were shot?" Plaisted asked.

"I remember I was shot in the face," Gale answered.

"And when you were shot in the face … were you standing, sitting, crouching?"

"I don't know, I just remember the pain and the flash of the gun … that's what I remember."

Bonilla's next court appearance will be 8:30 a.m., Feb. 16.

Two other suspects in the case, Keovongsack and Mario Rodriguez, 19, face misdemeanor charges for resisting or obstructing an officer. Frankie Rivera, 17, is accused of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor bail jumping.

The three have plea dates set for early February at 8:30 a.m. Rivera is set to appear Feb. 3, Rodriguez Feb. 4 and Keovongsack Feb. 9.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Jan. 27 2005.