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Suspect in Calif. college campus violence grieves for his cousin

Authorities have not ruled out gang involvement

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Police officers stand near the body of a victim killed in a shooting at Sacramento City College, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015.

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Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A man arrested in connection with a shooting and stabbing on a Sacramento college campus said the man killed in the violence was his cousin.

Rico Ridgeway told the Sacramento Bee in a jailhouse interview that he and his cousin, Roman P. Gonzalez, had just finished classes at Sacramento City College on Friday when a fight against two other men broke out.

“I just wanted us to go home. That was it,” he said. “I was going to drop him off at home, and then go to work. Then I would see him later.”

Police said the fight escalated when a knife and gun were pulled out.

Gonzalez was killed, and Ridgeway, who suffered a graze wound, was arrested on suspicion of stabbing and seriously wounding another student.

Police have not identified the man who was stabbed, nor the shooter who ran away and wasn’t found in a sweep of the campus and surrounding neighborhood.

Ridgeway, 24, denied knowing anything about the other men and declined to discuss what led to the conflict.

He said he and Gonzalez were close and described his cousin as the rock of their large, extended family.

“He was the big brother I never had, and we did everything together,” he said. “Sports. Music. We took the same classes at school. He was my best friend.”

Authorities have not ruled out gang involvement.

It was also unclear whether the gunman has any ties to the school, and police have not given a motive.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press