JULES HOEPTING
Managing Editor
On Saturday, April 30, a campus alert from Brent Isaacson, the Chief of University Police, was sent to members of SUNY Fredonia’s campus via Marketing and Communications’ email. According to the email, University Police had “received complaints about an unknown subject entering the Eisenhower residence hall, opening the doors of residents and entering unlocked rooms” around 6 a.m. — the day the alert was sent out. No violence had been connected with this “suspicious activity.”
University Police (UP) have conducted witness interviews, reviewed security camera footage and are in the process of an investigation to figure out who the suspect is. Based on what UP knows thus far, the suspect can be “described as a dark skinned black male, approximately 5′ 8″ – 5′ 11″ in height, between 45 and 50 years old, with gray and black short hair and a bigger build.” UP will be “conducting frequent foot patrols in the campus residence halls in an effort to deter a repeated incident of this type,” according to the email.
Although the exterior doors of residence halls are locked, Issacson encouraged students to lock their dorms as an extra layer of protection. He further advised anyone to report suspicious behavior to UP by contacting (716) 673-3333 or by using the “Silent Witness” website. He stressed that reports can be anonymous if desired.
When the alert email was sent out, the BlueView televisions across campus started to display a yellow screen advising campus members to check their emails and read about the alert. This alert has since appeared to have been removed from the televisions at this time.
In an email interview, Amy Li, a sophomore business administration major who lives in Eisenhower Hall, said she was shocked and scared when she heard about the incident.
“Our halls are usually very safe and secure,” Li said, adding, “After reading the email from the Chief of University Police, I felt much safer about the situation. It shows that the school is taking care of the situation and hopefully the man is found as soon as possible.”
Li wasn’t at her dorm when the incident occured, but she did check her room after she heard about it to see if anything was stolen. “Things seem to be fine,” she noted.
In an open-ended question on Instagram (@LeaderFredonia), users were given an opportunity to share their opinions on the incident. Only one user responded with the comment, “Something just doesn’t add up to me about all of this.”
This story is still developing, and The Leader will provide updates as they become available.