To: New South Hall residents
Sent: September 20, 2021 at 4:50pm
Dear Members of the New South Community,
I am writing to provide an update on the incident in New South Hall this past Saturday evening/Sunday morning. GUPD has arrested the suspect and is cooperating with local law enforcement on appropriate next steps.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, September 19, a student notified a Resident Assistant (RA) of New South that there was an unwelcome intruder appearing to be severely disoriented who had been seen in the hallway and in a restroom on the floor. The RA called GUPD after engaging with the intruder and requested that he leave the building. The fire alarm was pulled while GUPD searched the building, leading to the building being evacuated. GUPD located the intruder outside New South and, during questioning, a GUPD officer confiscated a pocket knife from the intruder. We are not aware at this time of any instance of the intruder brandishing or deploying the pocket knife. At this time there is no evidence that the intruder accessed any other campus building.
We ask that any student that has additional information to share it with GUPD via email GUPD at police@georgetown.edu or use the LiveSafe app. If you are ever in need of emergency assistance, dial 911 or call GUPD at (202) 687-4343.
Out of an abundance of caution, GUPD has increased patrols in New South and all student residence halls on campus.
GUPD is conducting a thorough investigation of the incident. Every student Residence Hall has a dual-swipe entry system, requiring a GOCard swipe to access the building lobby and a second GOCard swipe to access a residence floor. Upon review of security footage, the intruder accessed the building lobby by “tailgating” a group of students. The intruder then “tailgated” another student swiping his GOCard to access the stairwell.
We encourage all students to be aware of their surroundings when entering and exiting their residence hall, to avoid allowing individuals to enter without swiping their own GOCard and to check that doors fully close/lock upon entry and exit.
We recognize this incident has been distressing to members of our community. As a reminder, you can find more information about University resources, including those to support mental wellness, on our Every Hoya Cares website, and more information on safety resources on GUPD’s Campus Services page.
Sincerely,
Jay Gruber
Chief of Police and Associate Vice-President of Public Safety