CHLOE KOWALYK
News Editor
It was a morning that sent pangs of fear and anxiety across Eisenhower Hall — and SUNY Fredonia.
On April 30, an unfamiliar man entered an unsuspecting female student’s dorm room as she slept on a Saturday morning.
At approximately 6:40 a.m., the female student woke up to the eerie feeling of eyes watching her, resting and vulnerable.
The student, who has chosen to remain anonymous to avoid any consequences of identification, told The Leader her story.
“At first my brain was in shock and I didn’t know what to do or think,” she said. “I said to him, ‘What the fuck, hello?’ and he immediately said ‘Sorry’ and just left.”
The student first thought it was another student messing around, but she dismissed the thought after she remembered nothing of the sort had happened in Eisenhower Hall before.
“The building is so quiet, and the [resident assistants] (RAs) take their jobs seriously,” the student said.
She then immediately messaged her suitemates, worried the man might have entered their rooms as well. The student also emailed her resident director (RD), Christopher Shirley-Brown.
Then, the student heard screams, which came from the stairwell closest to her room. “I heard screaming and running from my RD, who was chasing the man,” the student said.
Another female student, who lived in a suite right next to the incident, also told her story.
The student’s suitemate also caught the man in her room, and the residents believe that the man may have been in the anonymous student’s room as well.
“I felt very scared,” the student said. “I was very worried about my safety. It is haunting to know that an older man could get into your so-called ‘secured’ building and watch people sleep.”
It was then that the police had arrived.
At 6:52 p.m. later that same day, Marking and Communications sent an email to campus with a message from the University Police (UP).
In the email, University Police Chief Brent Isaacson explained that UP had received several complaints “about an unknown subject entering the Eisenhower residence hall, opening the doors of residents and entering unlocked rooms.”
Isaacson added that there was no violence connected to the incident.
Throughout the day, UP conducted witness interviews, reviewed security camera footage and worked with local law enforcement to figure out the identity and motive of the man.
In the email, the man was described as “a dark skinned black male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches in height, between 45 and 50 years old, with gray and black short hair and a bigger build.”
For the remainder of the day and for a few days following the morning of the incident, UP had a police car parked between Eisenhower and Disney Hall. Officers made foot patrols around the buildings.
Isaacson advised students to keep their doors locked and to contact UP if they saw any suspicious activity.
Following the incident, the student was “really freaked out.”
“When you wake up to someone random in your room as a woman, you ultimately kind of expect the worst to happen to you which is terrifying,” she said.
The student also faced backlash on Yik Yak, an anonymous social media forum that shows posts by people within a small radius. People posted that the student and her suitemates were “dumb” for not locking their doors.
“I blamed myself a lot because I was thinking well I should’ve locked my door,” the student said.
The student found herself to be “extremely worried about [her] safety, to the point where [she] slept with [her] lights on the next few days after the incident.”
The student also explained that she was afraid to leave her room, and now always makes sure to lock her door.
She also explained that the incident on April 30 was actually the second time the man had entered Eisenhower Hall.
The student explained that the man first entered the building during Spring Break, which took place from March 13 to 19. During this time, the man allegedly learned the floor plan of the building and knew which rooms to check.
Just 15 days later, another incident was reported, and another email was sent out to campus by Marketing and Communications with another message from Isaacson.
In the email, Isaacson explained that shortly after 7 a.m. on May 15, UP received complaints “about an unknown subject acting suspiciously in the vicinity of the Andrews Complex residence halls.”
This is the same complex that holds Eisenhower Hall.
Isaacson wrote that the subject had a similar description to the suspect from the April 30 incident. Similar to the first case, no violence was connected to the occurrence.
The email included this description of the suspect: “the suspect from this morning is a black male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches in height, 190 pounds, approximately 50 years old, with gray and black short hair and a bigger build. [The morning of] the incident, he was wearing glasses, a black and orange hoodie, blue shorts and tan boots. He was seen on campus security cameras driving a blue sedan, possibly a Ford Fusion, which did not have a front license plate.”
UP also made contact with the suspect, and is in the process of investigating whether the man is the same suspect that entered Eisenhower Hall previously.
Isaacson wrote, “University Police will pursue appropriate criminal charges if such charges are supported by our continuing investigation.”
He also encouraged students to lock their doors.
The Leader reached out to Isaacson about the matter, and he released this statement: “Since it is an active investigation, I cannot release any details of our findings. I can say that University Police are making good progress on resolving this matter, and we will advise the campus community if and when criminal charges are filed. We are also focusing our patrols in an effort to deter a repeated incident of this kind.”
Isaacson also encouraged students to call UP at (716) 673-3333 if they see any suspicious activity on campus, no matter how trivial it may seem. He advises students to save UP’s number as a favorite or put it on speed dial for quick and easy access.
“UPD has very, very fast response times, often under two minutes, so a phone call to us can get an officer closeby a student in need and keep everyone safe,” Isaacson said.
The anonymous student also added her input on how students can be safe, and how a situation like this may be avoided.
“I think for the future, the suites with patios need to be locked, and checked that they’re locked during rounds,” she said.
The student also wants UP to be more aware of security issues around campus, and potentially having more of a presence near the suites than just by Gregory.
She also advises students to call 911 if there’s serious safety concerns as it’s an easier number to remember in a dangerous situation.
The student also explained that student door tags may have contributed to the man’s choice of their rooms.
She said, “the man obviously was looking at our names and pronouns on our doors, so him seeing my name and she/her next to it was probably appealing.”
And since rumors have gone around about the man not being found on security footage, the student said that the security cameras have “too many blind spots and are horrible quality for letting this man get away.”
“Always lock your doors because you think nothing will ever happen until it does,” the student said.
If you witness any suspicious activity or have any concerns, contact UP at (716) 673-3333.