Former NAU student convicted of fatal 2015 shooting released from prison

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — A former Northern Arizona University student convicted of killing a fellow student has been released from prison, authorities confirmed.

The Arizona Department of Corrections confirmed that Steven Jones was paroled on Monday. He was sentenced to six years in prison in 2020 but was released a year and a half early.

On October 9, 2015, according to authorities, Jones was punched in the face and ran to his car to get a gun before opening fire on a group of people on campus. Colin Brough, 20, was killed and several other students were injured.

Brough died after being shot in the chest and shoulder. Nick Piring was shot in the arm and hip as he jumped over a bush to reach Brough. Jones said he viewed the jump as an act of aggression.

Jones, who was trained in firearms as a child, said he fired again after students ambushed and subdued him as he tried to disperse the crowd. Nick Prato was shot in the neck and Kyle Zientek was shot twice in the back.

Jones pleaded guilty to manslaughter and three counts of grievous bodily harm.

Jones claimed he acted in self-defense after being verbally and physically attacked.

Prosecutors had portrayed Jones as a murderer whose pride was wounded after he was punched in the face outside an apartment complex occupied primarily by fraternity members and one of his friends rang the doorbell and ran away.

Prosecutors said Jones could have left the largely verbal argument, but instead he went to his car, took a loaded .40-caliber handgun from the glove compartment and shot four unarmed students.

Jones's lawyers have said he fired only after he said he had a gun and only after Brough charged at him – details that were given varying accounts by witnesses. Jones's lawyers said he was harassed and verbally assaulted by a group of drunken fraternity members and had only seconds to react because they believed he was being pursued and could be seriously injured or killed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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