Attack On Joliet Teen Leaves Quincy President 'Shocked, Outraged'

JOLIET, IL— The president of Quincy University has released a statement expressing his shock and outrage over last weekend's attack on Quincy University basketball player Jazzpher "Jazz" Evans. The 2020 graduate from Joliet West High School was hospitalized after being beaten inside a Quincy drinking establishment called The Barn, The Saulter Firm in Homewood said.

Quincy University President Brian McGee announced that his university is cooperating with the Quincy Police Department to "do everything we can to make certain this assault is fully investigated," according to an article in Newsweek.

"Quincy University supports its students and will never tolerate violence targeting a student," McGee announced. " We will do everything we can to make certain this assault is fully investigated. We are committed to keeping our students safe, supporting our students, and protecting this community."

Around 1 a.m. on April 4, "19-year-old freshman Jazzpher Evans was violently attacked by Steve William Homan, owner of 'The Barn; a bar and restaurant in Quincy, IL—in a racially fueled incident," a lengthy news release from The Saulter Law Firm said.

"Homan approached Jazz and a young fellow Quincy University White Female Student (who were both standing near the DJ Booth requesting a change to the music) and violently pushed Jazz against the wall. Homan then grabbed Jazz and threw her to the ground. Homan then placed Jazz in a full choke hold and strangled her until she lost consciousness," her lawyers maintain.

The Saulter Law Firm said the owner of The Barn is a 47-year-old white man who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 250 lbs. Lawyers for Evans contend that their client was the victim of a hate crime perpetrated by The Barn's owner. Evans is the daughter of Shavon Evans and Marvin Evans Jr., and her friends and family call her "Jazz."

“I woke up, and I was outside on the ground,” Evans told Chicago's NBC Channel 5. “One moment I thought I was enjoying my night. Next thing I knew I was outside. I had scrapes all over my face and my nose was bleeding.”

The Quincy University basketball player suffered a traumatic brain injury and cuts to her face, nose, hip, back and neck, her lawyers told NBC 5 in Chicago.

Evans grew up in Joliet and Shorewood and graduated in 2020 from Joliet West with a 3.8 GPA where she excelled as an athlete and scholar, her lawyers in Homewood noted.

According to an article in Quincy's Herald-Whig newspaper, Quincy Police Chief Rob Copley released a statement this week saying, "While I cannot go into details of our investigation at this time, I want to assure everyone that it is being thoroughly investigated. At the completion of the investigation, appropriate actions will be taken."

NBC Channel 5 in Chicago reported that Quincy's city attorney is now looking into whether Quincy can revoke the bar's license for The Barn because of the attack. The bar owner has not responded to requests for comment, the TV station reported.

Evans was recruited and joined the Quincy University’s women’s basketball team on a full athletic scholarship. She has a 3.0 grade-point average as a biology-chemistry major with plans to become a geneticist after pursuing her master's degree, her lawyers noted.