Guns bring scare to NDNU campus
Students fear for their safety after campus put on lockdown after two gunman brandish arms in dorms
Nicholas R. Lane
Issue date: 2/24/10 Section: News
Students across campus feared for their safety while the campus was placed on lockdown after two men brandished firearms and threatened a group of residents and guests following the Black Student Union dance early Saturday morning.
"I was sleeping and was woken up by Public Safety knocking on doors," said sophomore Liz Santacruz. "Kyle, PS, and BPD were in the hall, and one had a gun so big it touched the floor. But I was more scared that I didn't know what was happening."
Four young men attended the dance earlier in the evening and made their way back to Julie Billiart Hall when it ended. Two of these men allegedly brandished firearms in the room of a first-floor resident, in front of another resident and five guests, according to Resident Director Kyle Pretsch.
Pretsch said that the four suspects attended the dance as registered guests of four students, some of whom had no prior connection to either of their guests.
This statement echoes one made by Chief of Public Safety David Mefford at a Community Forum held in St. Joseph Hall's lounge Saturday evening to address concerns from the NDNU community.
"What happened last night was that one student signed in her friend, and got her friends to get the others signed in," said Mefford on how the suspects entered the dance.
Though all four men were present at the dance, according to Mefford, they were not believed to have had the firearms on them at that time, but retrieved them from their vehicle later.
After the dance ended, residents and guests made their way back up to the dorms. The check-in table at the dance took both the identification of residents and their guests, and passed out corresponding wristbands. However, as of the time of the Community Forum, identification of the men had still not been established. Mefford stated that they knew the faces of the suspects, but that they were still in the investigative state of trying to find out their identities.
"It appears at that time they were not properly ID'd," said Pretsch. "In some cases, with a false name or lacking ID."
"I was sleeping and was woken up by Public Safety knocking on doors," said sophomore Liz Santacruz. "Kyle, PS, and BPD were in the hall, and one had a gun so big it touched the floor. But I was more scared that I didn't know what was happening."
Four young men attended the dance earlier in the evening and made their way back to Julie Billiart Hall when it ended. Two of these men allegedly brandished firearms in the room of a first-floor resident, in front of another resident and five guests, according to Resident Director Kyle Pretsch.
Pretsch said that the four suspects attended the dance as registered guests of four students, some of whom had no prior connection to either of their guests.
This statement echoes one made by Chief of Public Safety David Mefford at a Community Forum held in St. Joseph Hall's lounge Saturday evening to address concerns from the NDNU community.
"What happened last night was that one student signed in her friend, and got her friends to get the others signed in," said Mefford on how the suspects entered the dance.
Though all four men were present at the dance, according to Mefford, they were not believed to have had the firearms on them at that time, but retrieved them from their vehicle later.
After the dance ended, residents and guests made their way back up to the dorms. The check-in table at the dance took both the identification of residents and their guests, and passed out corresponding wristbands. However, as of the time of the Community Forum, identification of the men had still not been established. Mefford stated that they knew the faces of the suspects, but that they were still in the investigative state of trying to find out their identities.
"It appears at that time they were not properly ID'd," said Pretsch. "In some cases, with a false name or lacking ID."
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ft lauderdale movers
posted 3/01/10 @ 3:05 PM PST
Wow, that was a pretty scary situation.
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