Students Attacked Outside CFA Last Friday

The Argus has more information about last Friday's Public Safety report: two students, Claire Staples ’09 and Travis Fitzgerald ’09, were assaulted in an unprovoked attack by four people on Friday night, outside the Davison Art Center on High Street.

Following a gathering at her house on Court Street, Staples and Fitzgerald were traveling up Court Street towards a friend’s house when they noticed four youths loitering ahead. The youths began to follow them, at which point Staples and Fitzgerald crossed High Street and headed towards safety at the CFA, where they both have studios. Staples then tried to flag down a passing PSafe patrol car, but it failed to notice her attempts.

...Within seconds, Staples was severely hit multiples times in the face by one assailant. Fitzgerald, after chasing the attackers, sustained minor injuries to the face and back. No weapons were used in the assault, and theft does not seem to have been a motive. Following the attack, Fitzgerald called PSafe, and he and Staples, who was heavily bleeding, were taken to the hospital.

The effects of the assault have outlasted the incident itself. Staples, who bore the brunt of the attack, sustained an orbital blowout fracture below her left eye and received multiples stitches for cuts on her chin. Currently on Percocet to numb the pain, she is unable to attend classes or work on her senior thesis.

“I definitely thought that I was invincible,” Staples said. “Now I feel a little vulnerable. It all happened in like twenty seconds.”

This is pretty unnerving - by all accounts this kind of attack is rare, and Public Safety has stepped up security in the area since Friday. The case is being pursued with the Middletown Police Department, but the fact that it happened is another reminder to watch your back when you're out late.

The victims are admirably clear-headed about the incident:

The assault is particularly unsettling for Staples since it appears to be unprovoked and unmediated. Additionally, she feels that it was directed towards her not as an individual, but as a Wesleyan student.

“I was attacked because I was a Wes student,” Staples said. “It didn’t matter that it was me. It’s an isolated incident and yet it’s not an isolated incident. It was just a bunch of fucking punk ass kids.”

Staples, who has lived on the periphery of campus both during the summer and academic year, still considers Middletown a safe place to live. Both she and Fitzgerald do not fault the community for what happened or see this assault as an accurate depiction of relations between the University and greater community.

“It certainly hasn’t changed my opinion of Middletown,” Staples said. “I know that it’s not a good representation of Middletown. It’s still a great place to live.”

According to the Argus, Claire is planning to hold an art show of photos chronicling her injuries in March - kudos for making something positive out of this ordeal.

Argus: Two Students Attacked Outside CFA on Friday

P-Safe Alert: Attempted Mugging on Pearl

Not to strike excessive fear into the hearts of students living at the edges of campus, but there was an attempted mugging at gunpoint on Pearl Street last night. From this morning's P-Safe alert:

Public Safety would like to inform the community that on Friday 12/5/08 at approximately 1:00am a student was approached outside their residence on Pearl St by an individual who began asking the student questions about where they lived and what was in his pockets. The individual then attempted to strike the student and a scuffle ensued.

The subject got to his feet and pointed a handgun at the student and demanded they empty their pockets. A vehicle then approached the area and the subject fled. The student went to a friend's house and later called Middletown Police. The student did not receive any injuries.

It should go without saying - Wesleyan is physically not a bubble. Be vigilant, avoid walking alone at night if you can, and if you do, at least be aware of the possibility of danger.

Condolences to Mumbai Attack Victims

This might be a good time for Americans to be thankful that our cities haven't been subject to major terrorist attacks for awhile.

If anyone has friends or family in Mumbai, hope they're safe.

BBC News: Mumbai Attacks

How to Help a Sexually Assaulted Friend

How to Help a Friend who has experienced Sexual Assault Workshop.

Come talk with a trained sexual assault crisis advocate, Erin Clark '09, to find out how to support a friend who has experienced sexual assault. Milk & cookies will be served!

Date: Tuesday, October 21
Time: 8:30pm
Place: Queer Resource Center 190 High Street (in the old WSA Building, between
Beta and Eclectic)

Shooting at Major League Barbershop

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Helicopters have been circling LoRise and HiRise for the past twenty minutes. No specific details yet: students saw P-Safe telling children and their caretakers in Traverse Square to clear out for safety reasons, because there was just a shooting.

[edit I: 6:35 pm] The shooting took place at Major League Barbershop, at the intersection of Williams and Broad streets (map above). Eyewitness News says that:

"three or four black men wearing red and black entered the barbershop, shot the person, then fled. This isn't the first time this barbershop has seen gunfire. In 2005, 26-year-old Marcus Perry opened fire at the business."

Shit! And I have such fond memories of my nonviolent MLB head-shave freshman year.

[edit II: 7:06 pm] Looks like Wesleyan picked the right day to start testing the phone/text security alerts - I just got a text message, robo-call from Dean Mike, and email about the incident with the following info, as well as worried phone calls from three separate family members who assumed I was there and barely escaped with my life:

Middletown Police has notified Public Safety that a shooting occurred off campus on William St between Broad and Main streets at approximately 5:25pm today 10/1/08. 5-7 individuals fled the area and several possible subjects have been stopped. There are no Wesleyan community members believed to have been involved in this and Public Safety has deployed several officers in the area while Middletown Police continue their search for suspects.

Brrrr! Probably not the best day for Middletown bar night. Although from my ostensibly safe two-block distance from the MLB crime scene, I will say it is pretty funny that the alleged perpetrators were wearing Wesleyan colors. More details as they come.

[edit III: 9:51 pm] P-Safe update:

Middletown Police with the assistance of Public Safety and State Police helicopters have completed the search of the area for possible suspects in this incident and there is no imminent threat to the Wesleyan community. Middletown Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting of one individual and anyone with any information is asked to contact them at 860-344-3200.

Also, Middletown Eye says that the only damage was one man shot in the leg, who was taken to the hospital. So you can tell your parents that yeah, there was a gang shooting two blocks off campus, but at least nobody's dead.

Photo below from Ed McKeon, at the scene earlier today: