Tag:

Campus Safety

Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
Schools
Two Villanova Hoaxes Tied To National Swatting Spree; FBI Charges Suspect (UPDATE) Two Villanova Hoaxes Tied To National Swatting Spree; FBI Charges Suspect (UPDATE)
Two Villanova Hoaxes Tied To National Swatting Spree; FBI Charges Suspect (Update) A swatting group calling itself Purgatory is believed to be behind more than 10 hoax active shooter reports that triggered lockdowns at universities nationwide — and now, federal prosecutors have filed charges against a suspect tied to the spree, officials announced Thursday, April 30. Villanova At The Center The wave of hoaxes began on Aug. 21 at Villanova University, where families and new students attending orientation Mass were sent scrambling after an alert warned of an “ACTIVE SHOOTER” on campus. Students and parents barricaded doors and hid as heavily armed officers flooded the Main L…

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by Jillian Pikora
Poughkeepsie, NY
News
Ex-Student Charged In Vassar Bomb, Shooter Hoax After Months Of Threats Toward Staff: Feds Ex-Student Charged In Vassar Bomb, Shooter Hoax After Months Of Threats Toward Staff: Feds
Ex-Student Charged In Vassar Bomb, Shooter Hoax After Months Of Threats Toward Staff: Feds A former Vassar College student has been arrested and charged in federal court with posting an anonymous bomb and active-shooter hoax that forced the evacuation of a dormitory on the Hudson Valley, NY campus during move-in day, federal officials announced.  Los Angeles resident Nigel Trenh, 22, was arrested by the FBI in Los Angeles on Monday, Dec. 8, and is expected to appear in White Plains federal court on Thursday, Dec. 18. Prosecutors say he is charged with maliciously conveying false information about an explosive and with making a hoax involving explosives and firearms, the US At…

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by Ben Crnic
Alexandria, VA
Schools
‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library ‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library
‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library A false report of an active shooter sparked panic and lockdowns at the University of Virginia’s Shannon Library on Monday before police determined there was no threat on campus. University officials said they received reports of an active shooter around 3 p.m. at 160 McCormick Road on Nov. 3.  “Police are currently at Shannon Library continuing to investigate. At this time there is no evidence of an attacker,” one early alert read. Lockdowns remained in effect for more than an hour as UVA Police cleared buildings and canvassed the area.  A steady stream of updates from the unive…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
News
19-Year-Old Ohio State Student From Fairfield Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium 19-Year-Old Ohio State Student From Fairfield Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium
19-Year-Old Ohio State Student From Fairfield Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium A 19-year-old Ohio State University student was found dead inside Ohio Stadium, prompting an investigation but no immediate safety alert to the campus community. University police said the student, identified as William Meyers of Fairfield, Connecticut, was discovered in the stadium’s northeast corner before 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26.  A university spokesman confirmed Meyers' identity in a statement to The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper. Officials said foul play is not suspected and there is no threat to the public, the outlet reported. The cause of death has not been released…

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by Joe Lombardi
College Park, MD
Schools
'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police 'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police
'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police A Peeping Tom is at large in Maryland after a student reported a voyeur incident inside a dorm, authorities announced. At approximately 11:11 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, the University of Maryland Police Department was alerted about an incident that had happened minutes earlier in Dorchester Hall. The student said that he was inside a communal bathroom on the third floor of the dorm taking a shower when he saw a White arm come over the top of the shower curtain holding a cellphone with the camera pointed toward him. He opened the curtain to confront the cameraman, but the suspect was ab…

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by Zak Failla
Poughkeepsie, NY
News
Bomb Threat At Vassar College Found To Be Hoax (UPDATE) Bomb Threat At Vassar College Found To Be Hoax (UPDATE)
Bomb Threat At Vassar College Found To Be Hoax (Update) This story has been updated.  The bomb threat that prompted an evacuation at Vassar College in Dutchess County on Friday morning, Aug. 29, has been determined to be a hoax, according to school officials. The incident began at around 10 a.m. on Friday, when the college issued an emergency alert after a bomb threat was reported at the Davison Hall dormitory on the Vassar Campus, located in Poughkeepsie. Vassar President Elizabeth H. Bradley said in a message to the campus community that Davison Hall has since been cleared by police, Campus Safety, and other authorities as of 2…

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by Ben Crnic
Manhasset, NY
News
New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas
New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas Restrictions have now been lifted after police and campus officials warned students to keep away from Mullins Library as officers swarmed the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for reports of an active shooter. On Monday afternoon, Aug. 25, the university’s RazALERT emergency system notified the campus community to avoid the area around Mullins Library “due to an active shooter reported,” according to the alert on social media. The message urged: “Avoid. Deny. Defend.” In a follow-up RazALERT, the university said police were responding to multiple reports around campus and reiterated th…

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
News
All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina
All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina This story has been updated. An all-clear update has been issued after an earlier urgent alert warned students and staff of a possible active shooter at the heart of campus at the University of South Carolina, leading to a shelter-in-place order. The updated was issued Sunday evening, Aug. 24, after earlier reports surfaced of a possible shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library, a central hub for students.  "ALL CLEAR," the update stated. "There is no ongoing emergency at this time. The Thomas Cooper Library building remains closed." Earlier, the suspect was described as a 6-foot ta…

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by Joe Lombardi
Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
Schools
Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes
Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes Villanova University faced a second false emergency report involving a weapon on campus Sunday, Aug. 24, one day before classes were scheduled to begin, Radnor Township Police confirmed. Officers were called to Austin Hall after a report of a possible threat, but police later confirmed the call was unfounded. Law enforcement searched the building, cleared the scene, and worked to restore normal operations. The investigation into the hoax is ongoing. The incident comes just three days after a fake active shooter report at Villanova’s law school sent the campus into chaos during orientation a…

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by Jillian Pikora
Arlington, VA
Police & Fire
Penn State Rape Suspect From DC Surrenders Hours After Marshals Blast Out BOLO: Feds Penn State Rape Suspect From DC Surrenders Hours After Marshals Blast Out BOLO: Feds
Penn State Rape Suspect From DC Surrenders Hours After Marshals Blast Out Bolo: Feds A DC man accused of raping a student at Penn State last fall and going on the run surrendered hours after the US Marshals issued a BOLO looking for him, authorities announced. The US Marshals Service Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force issued an alert on Monday, Aug. 18, advising that they are searching for 19-year-old Abdul-Jabril Cooper, who is wanted for the September 2024 rape of a student at Penn State’s Abington campus. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, federal officials confirmed that Cooper surrendered to the Penn State University Police. He now faces a host of charges. …

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Schools
High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech
High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech A campus tour turned chaotic when 10 high school students visiting Virginia Tech fell through a utility grate, university officials said. Ten high schoolers from Washington County Public Schools fell approximately six feet through a collapsed utility grate during a tour of Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus on Wednesday morning, June 26, 2025, officials said. The group had been observing Pamplin Hall when the incident happened near the atrium windows, officials said. The students were able to get themselves out. Emergency responders quickly arrived and assessed the students.  Seven we…

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by Zak Failla
Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
Schools
Cheyney University Shooting, DUI Lead To PA State Police Investigation Cheyney University Shooting, DUI Lead To PA State Police Investigation
Cheyney University Shooting, DUI Lead To PA State Police Investigation A shooting and a suspected DUI crash involving visitors disrupted Cheyney University’s annual end-of-year Spring Celebration in Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Sunday, April 27. Troopers from PSP Avondale, along with officers from multiple Chester and Delaware County agencies, responded to the campus around 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, according to authorities. Investigators say the first incident happened around 9:45 p.m., when a 19-year-old visitor from Philadelphia suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital and treat…

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by Jillian Pikora
Williamstown-Lanesborough, MA
Police & Fire
Hidden Camera Found in Williams College Gym Bathroom; Weston Man Facing 18 Charges Hidden Camera Found in Williams College Gym Bathroom; Weston Man Facing 18 Charges
Hidden Camera Found in Williams College Gym Bathroom; Weston Man Facing 18 Charges A Western Massachusetts man is facing more than a dozen criminal charges after police say a hidden camera was discovered in a public restroom at a local college gym. Maxwell Hall, of Weston, was charged with 18 counts of photographing, videotaping, or electronically surveilling a partially nude or nude person, the Berkshire District Attorney said. The charges follow an incident on the afternoon of Jan. 16 at Williams College in Williamstown. A Williams College student reported finding a suspicious device disguised as a phone charger inside a second-floor restroom at the Lasell Gymnasium. Th…

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by Josh Lanier
Lower Merion-Narberth, PA
Schools
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation A Villanova University student who recorded another student’s sexual assault will not walk at the school’s graduation ceremony following intense backlash, the victim's attorney told Daily Voice on Wednesday, April 9. Juan Eguiguren, a Villanova senior, was present during the assault of a female classmate, according to a lawsuit and campus petition. Rather than intervening, Eguiguren allegedly took photos of the incident and later slept in the same room, organizers of the campaign allege. In the underlying case, Elijah Joseph Katzenell, 22, of Camp Hill, PA (according to the Pennsylvania S…

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by Jillian Pikora
Nottingham-Perry Hall, MD
Obituaries
Nottingham Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration' Nottingham Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration'
Nottingham Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration' The Maryland woman who was killed in an apparent murder-suicide shortly after returning to Rice University for the new semester is being remembered as a "vibrant soul who brought warmth and joy wherever she went."  This week, Nottingham resident Andrea Rodriguez Avila was identified as the person found during a welfare check by campus police at the university, where she was an incoming junior. University officials confirmed that Avila was found dead in her Jones College room, along with another man who suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was not a member of the Rice community a…

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by Zak Failla
Middletown, NJ
Police & Fire
Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats
Monmouth University Lockdown Order Lifted After Email Made Bomb, Shooting Threats A lockdown order was lifted at Monmouth University after students were asked to shelter in place for several hours as investigators looked into a threat on campus, officials said. The university posted on Facebook about the main campus lockdown at 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, as university police and other first responders checked various buildings. West Long Branch's emergency management office said there were no safety concerns outside university property in a Facebook post at 7:20 a.m. Monmouth president Dr. Patrick Leahy posted an update on the university's website after students were…

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by Chris Spiker
Hamilton Township, NJ
Police & Fire
Princeton Student Killed By NJ Transit Train: Officials Princeton Student Killed By NJ Transit Train: Officials
Princeton Student Killed By NJ Transit Train: Officials A Princeton University student was fatally struck by a train last week, according to officials. James Li (Class of 2027) was struck at the NJ Transit crossing on Faculty Road in Princeton on Friday, Feb. 16, Princeton Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun said. Princeton University spokesman Michael Hotchkiss said the incident involved the Princeton Dinky, a train operated by New Jersey Transit between Princeton Station and Princeton Junction. "Our entire community mourns the loss of James, and our hearts go out to James’s family and friends," Calhoun said.…

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by Cecilia Levine
Fairfax, VA
News
JMU Student Found Dead In Dorm ID'd JMU Student Found Dead In Dorm ID'd
JMU Student Found Dead In Dorm ID'd The death of a 19-year-old, first-year student at James Madison University was found dead inside a dorm on campus, officials said. At around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, officials say that a 19-year-old was found dead in Frederickson Hall, prompting James Madison University Police to call for an inquiry by the Virginia State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The student was later identified as Pennsylvania resident Bernard Stapelfeld by JMU, according to the James Madison University student-run newspaper "The Breeze," which cited an email sent out to the school community, which …

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by Zak Failla
Bowie, MD
News
Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland
Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland It didn't work out well for former President Donald Trump, but Morgan State University officials announced plans to build a wall around campus after a recent shooting. Four men and a woman were shot during Homecoming Week celebrations near campus at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in the 1700 block of Argonne Drive, leaving the school community shell-shocked. Northeast Shooting Investigation Update In reference to the shooting that occurred on October 3, 2023, on the campus... Posted by Baltimore Police Department on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 "What happened on our campus was such…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Police & Fire
New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects
New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects New video was released of the suspects wanted for the mass shooting at Morgan State University that left five with injuries. Four men and a woman were shot shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in the 1700 block of Argonne Drive, not far from campus, according to a Baltimore Police Department spokesperson. Four of the victims were students at Morgan State.  In the video released by the department overnight, the four suspects can be seen walking across an area lawn around the time of the shooting before it cuts to three from the group rushing back in the opposite direction. It is be…

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by Zak Failla
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
Student Stabbed At Kean University: Police (UPDATED) Student Stabbed At Kean University: Police (UPDATED)
Student Stabbed At Kean University: Police (Updated) A student was stabbed at Kean University on Tuesday, Sept. 19, university police said in a statement. At 8:15 p.m., university police responded to the basketball courts next to the Miron Student Center and transported the student to a nearby hospital, police said. Officers said they believe the incident is related to a group of people who were riding around the campus on bicycles. "There is no ongoing threat to public safety," the university said in a statement, noting there was an extra police presence on campus overnight. In an open letter posted on the university's website, Lamont Repol…

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by Sam Barron
Arlington, VA
Police & Fire
Teen Shooter Apprehended For Murder Of Man Near Catholic University In DC Teen Shooter Apprehended For Murder Of Man Near Catholic University In DC
Teen Shooter Apprehended For Murder Of Man Near Catholic University In DC Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department have tracked down the teen shooter who was wanted for killing a man near the Catholic University of America. Jaleil Jones, 18, of Northwest DC, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed for the death of Robert Lavender this summer, authorities announced on Saturday.  Lavender, 44, was identified by police as the man who was shot in the 600 block of Monroe Street NE near 7th Street NE and later died after being rushed to an area hospital on Monday, July 17. In a letter to the community following the incident, th…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Police & Fire
Police ID Man Killed At Catholic University In DC Police ID Man Killed At Catholic University In DC
Police ID Man Killed At Catholic University In DC New details have been released after a 25-year-old man was killed in an on-campus shooting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  Kentucky resident Maxwell Emerson has been identified as the victim who was killed "in an incident of violence" that remains under investigation in Northeast DC. We are aware that there was an incident of violence that resulted in a fatality this morning. There is no present danger to the University community. We are working with the Metropolitan D.C. police department. We ask that you pray for the victim who died. — The Catholic University…

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by Zak Failla
Allentown, PA
Police & Fire
'This Must Stop': Hate Crime Under Investigation At Lehigh University 'This Must Stop': Hate Crime Under Investigation At Lehigh University
'This Must Stop': Hate Crime Under Investigation At Lehigh University Lehigh University Police are investigating a hate crime against a black student on campus, officials told students and staff in a message.  Sometime over the weekend, a black student was walking with friends when "a group of four white individuals" in a car "yelled racist comments" at the student as they drove by, said University Police Chief Jason D. Schiffer.  The student briefly chased after the car before "he disengaged" and reunited with his friend group, the chief wrote.  Then, police say, the four suspects got out of their car and followed the group before assaul…

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by Mac Bullock
West Chester, PA
Police & Fire
Lincoln University Shooting Injures Two; Gunman Still At Large Lincoln University Shooting Injures Two; Gunman Still At Large
Lincoln University Shooting Injures Two; Gunman Still At Large Two women were injured by a single gunshot fired during Lincoln University's Spring Fling event on Saturday night, and police don't know who pulled the trigger.  It happened on the second floor of the University's LLC building in Lower Oxford Township, said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan in a release.  One victim was sitting on a bench in a hallway and another standing nearby when witnesses reported hearing a single shot, causing the crowd to flee, officials said.  Victim number one was struck in the left ankle, and the bullet was still lodged there as of Sun…

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by Mac Bullock
Quincy, MA
Obituaries
'Collective Pain' Spreads Among UMass-Dartmouth After Freshman Student's Death 'Collective Pain' Spreads Among UMass-Dartmouth After Freshman Student's Death
'Collective Pain' Spreads Among UMass-Dartmouth After Freshman Student's Death A student body is coming together to raise awareness after a 19-year-old University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth student was struck and killed by a car on campus last week.  Frankie Petillo Jr. was struck by a vehicle on Thursday, April 6, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Petillo, of the Manahawkin, NJ, was a freshman Bioengineering student.  UMass students gathered for a candlelight vigil on Monday and also launched a Change.org petition to improve street safety on campus.  The petition says, in part: "The student body wants more safety. Speed bumps, speed monitors, sidewalks, and st…

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by Jon Craig
Lakewood, NJ
News
NJ Student Killed In Pedestrian Crash On UMass-Dartmouth Campus NJ Student Killed In Pedestrian Crash On UMass-Dartmouth Campus
NJ Student Killed In Pedestrian Crash On UMass-Dartmouth Campus A 19-year-old University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth student from the Jersey Shore was struck and killed by a car on campus, college officials said. Frankie Petillo Jr. was struck by a vehicle on Thursday, April 6, according to the college chancellor. Petillo, of the Manahawkin section of Strafford, was a freshman Bioengineering student. The college held a candlelight vigil on Monday. Petillo's death prompted students to launch a Change.org petition to improve street safety on campus.  The petition says, in part: "The student body wants more safety. Speed bumps, speed monitors, sidewalks, …

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by Jon Craig
Clifton Park, NY
Schools
Reports Of Student With Gun Prompt Lockdown At Capital Region High School Reports Of Student With Gun Prompt Lockdown At Capital Region High School
Reports Of Student With Gun Prompt Lockdown At Capital Region High School A high school in the region was placed on a lockdown after several students reported that a classmate had a gun. Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Shenendehowa High School West in Clifton Park at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, after a student told their parent that another student possibly had a gun, officials said. Other students at the school made similar reports directly to the school resource officer, who is a Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputy. The school was placed on a lockdown while deputies and State Police troopers searched the campus. They eventually located the…

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by Michael Mashburn
Dorchester, MA
Schools
Services Soar After Man Jumps To Death Off Boston University Campus Building Services Soar After Man Jumps To Death Off Boston University Campus Building
Services Soar After Man Jumps To Death Off Boston University Campus Building A university in Boston is offering extra support to students after a man allegedly committed suicide by jumping from one of the buildings on campus this week.  The man leapt from the 26th floor study lounge at Boston University's Student Village II residence hall, located at 33 Harry Agganis Way, on Wednesday night, Feb. 13, BU Today reports.  The 33-year-old from Cambridge, who was not fully identified, is not affiliated with the school, a university spokesperson confirmed to Daily Voice. BU ALERT: There is police activity at 33 Harry Agganis Way due to an ongoing investigation. The a…

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by David Cifarelli
Fairfax, VA
News
Armed Robbers Are Targeting Victims In $1,000 Canada Goose Jackets: Reports Armed Robbers Are Targeting Victims In $1,000 Canada Goose Jackets: Reports
Armed Robbers Are Targeting Victims In $1,000 Canada Goose Jackets: Reports A Howard University student got his property back after a group of three “bad actors” targeted him and stole his Canada Goose winter jacket earlier this week, following a recent troubling trend that has plagued the area. Several suspects are in custody and could face charges after being apprehended for a brazen broad day robbery in a busy crowd near campus on Georgia Avenue NW on Tuesday, Jan. 24. “While walking amongst a crowd of onlookers and witnesses, a student was robbed earlier today by several masked attackers who pulled up in a car, took his coat, and fled the scene in a matter of…

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by Zak Failla
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Police & Fire
NJ Man Missing From Lehigh University NJ Man Missing From Lehigh University
NJ Man Missing From Lehigh University Officials at Lehigh University are seeking the public's help in locating a missing student. Daniel Lee, a second-year engineering student from New Jersey, was reported missing Friday, Jan. 20. Foul play is not suspected. Daniel is a university center facilities work-study student. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt with red sleeves, black-and-white athletic-type pants, and black sneakers. Anyone with information can contact Campus Safety at 610-758-4200, available 24 hours a day.

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by Cecilia Levine