How did college soccer player Danny Dahlquist die?
Danny Dahlquist and his roommates often played pranks on each other. On the night that Dahlquist died, his friends played a prank on him. Four of Dahlquist’s friends lit Roman candles and shoved them underneath Dahlquist’s door, which they have done before as a prank, but this time Dahlquist had stuffed towels at the bottom of his door. One friend then used a coat hanger to unblock the door and lit another Roman candle and shoved it underneath the door. Dahlquist’s bedroom caught on fire. His roommates tried to get him out, but couldn’t see anything due to the smoke, but was able to get another one of their roommates out that was asleep. Firefighters found Dahlquist laying on the floor in his room, and took him to the E.R. where he was pronounced dead. Sources: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?
In August of 2007, He died in a fire after four friends set off roman candles under his bedroom door as a prank. Prosecutors said Dahlquist, a 19-year-old sophomore, died in a fire that started when four friends set off roman candles under his bedroom door as a prank after a night of drinking. Dahlquist was asleep when the fire broke out, but was found near a window, indicating he awoke and tried to escape, prosecutors added. The four college students were charged with aggravated arson and possession of an explosive or incendiary device. Bradley soccer players Nicholas Mentgen, 21, Ryan Johnson, 22, and David Crady, 19, were released from jail late after posting $500,000 bond, authorities said. Daniel Cox, 20, who attends Illinois Central College in nearby East Peoria, remained in Peoria County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond, jail officials said Tuesday. Sources: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/stori
Based on police interviews, court documents and a report from Lyons, this is what happened: “Dahlquist’s roommates — Bradley soccer players Mentgen, David Crady and Ryan Johnson and a fourth friend, Daniel Cox — lit Roman candles and shoved them under Dahlquist’s bedroom door on the second floor of the house. Each was involved in the incident through obtaining the fireworks, lighting them or placing them under the door. After one didn’t go off, likely because the opening under the door was blocked, one of the men used a coat hanger to remove the blockage and at least one more Roman candle was shot under the door. “The flames … were about 1,500 to 1,800 degrees in temperature Fahrenheit,” Lyons said. “The flames went across the room. There was a futon across the room and these balls shooting across the floor would hit the wall [and] burst into a bigger flame. The second time when they ran down the stairs and outside, there was no Danny Dahlquist, no nothing.” Dahlquist’s bedroom was o
Bradley University has canceled its annual preseason soccer scrimmage, but will open the regular season as scheduled after the death of a player in a fire. The university also said in a statement Tuesday that it still is reviewing the status of three other Bradley soccer players charged with arson in Sunday’s death of Sheridan “Danny” Dahlquist. Authorities said the fire was caused by a botched fireworks prank. Prosecutors said Dahlquist, a 19-year-old sophomore, died in a fire that started when four friends set off roman candles under his bedroom door as a prank after a night of drinking. Dahlquist was asleep when the fire broke out, but was found near a window, indicating he awoke and tried to escape, prosecutors added. The four college students were charged Monday with aggravated arson and possession of an explosive or incendiary device. Bradley soccer players Nicholas Mentgen, 21, Ryan Johnson, 22, and David Crady, 19, were released from jail late Monday and Tuesday morning after p
PEORIA — Two former college students who were convicted in the death of a Bradley University soccer player have been released from jail. David Crady and Daniel Cox served a six-month sentence and were released from the Peoria County jail on Wednesday. Crady, Cox and two others pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the August 2007 death of 19-year-old Sheridan “Danny” Dahlquist. The others are scheduled to be released later this week. Dahlquist died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation after the men lit a roman candle under his bedroom door. Police say all five had been drinking. Sources: http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/07/18/news/doc487f306fac86a253841743.
