Last Thursday, an armed individual flashed a firearm at a student at an off-campus house on Cattell Street, startling the campus community and prompting a campus-wide email from Public Safety.
According to the email from Public Safety, the individual, who was with a group, stated he was “looking for someone to rob.”
Sean Robinson ‘25 was walking home from Wawa when a group of four teenagers in two Nissan Altimas – one light-colored, one dark-colored, with model years unknown – called to him to go over to them.
“They told me to come up to them, and I just kept saying ‘no’ and walked away and they just started cursing me out,” Robinson said. “That was all that happened … they were just screwing around in the parking lot.”
Nicholas Pesce ‘25 recalled that he was having a conversation with a friend in the parking lot behind a student-occupied house on Cattell Street when roughly nine young men, some of whom were said to be involved in the incident at Wawa, approached them and asked to join their get-together. Director of Public Safety Jeff Troxell wrote in an email that six or seven individuals were believed to be involved in the incident.
“They said, ‘We want to come inside and hang out with you guys,’ in a very intimidating sort of way,” Pesce said.
At one point, Pesce said that he was offered cash from a large stack of money from one of the young men.
“He said it was $1,000, and I was like, no, I don’t want your money,” Pesce said.
Pesce then continued to converse with the young men who repeatedly asked to come inside until a resident of the house came outside and approached the group.
“He comes out, saying, like, ‘What are you guys doing here?'” Pesce said. “And then one of the kids lifted up his shirt and there’s a gun underneath it.”
Pesce said that at this point, the occupants of the house asked the young men to leave, and he decided to remove himself from the situation. The firearm was said to be roughly six inches long, according to Troxell. The individual with the firearm was reported to have been wearing a black hoodie and gray sweatpants.
“As soon as they left, I walked out,” Pesce said. “I think [Public Safety] was called.”
Troxell said that the department received a call Thursday at 11:39 p.m. A Public Safety officer was dispatched to the scene immediately.
The case has been transferred to the Easton Police Department.
“It’s an active investigation with Easton Police Department,” Troxell said. “It’s their jurisdiction.”
Troxell said that patrols were increased and a “saturated patrol” was initiated, bringing more officers to survey the campus and the location of the incident.
Captain Salvatore Crisafulli of the Easton Police Department said that the young men have not yet been identified.
“As of right now, we don’t have a crime,” Crisafulli said. “We investigated the incident and determined that a crime was not committed.”
Crisafulli said that “there were no threats made, nor was the weapon displayed or pulled.”
At the time of the incident, an email was sent out to students warning them and asking them to take precautions.
“Don’t walk alone, stay in well-lit areas,” Troxell said. “And if anybody hears anything more, come forward.”
