2 Students Robbed At McDaniel College; Suspects At Large
WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- Police say two men, one armed with a handgun, terrorized college students in Westminster.
Tracey Leong has the story on the two incidents that happened Tuesday night, just minutes apart.
Immediately following the crimes, McDaniel College was put on lockdown. All students were alerted to stay in a safe place while police canvassed the campus, searching for the suspects.
"Mostly scared and kinda nervous," said student Devon Sobrado.
"It's kinda scary to think that armed robberies are happening on campus, especially when it's a small campus," said student Taylor Stillings.
McDaniel College students were also feeling reassured, knowing how quickly police and campus security reacted.
"They had an alert system, so all the students knew to stay safe," said student Ryan Rowe. "That was good."
"Try to get information to the entire campus, to families, so everyone knows what's going on. In this day and age of technology, we are trying to get information out fast," said Beth Gerl, vice president for student affairs and dead of students.
One incident happened near Blanche Ward Hall where a student delivering pizza told police two men pointed a gun at him and demanded money. The other incident happened across campus at Decker College Center where a student told police two men demanded his backpack and then ran off without taking it.
Police describe the suspects as two men in their 20s. One is 5'5" with a stocky build and the other is 6' with a slender build.
These robberies took place just months after a campus shooting back in March.
"Gun violence is a very rare thing in this community and that was obviously a very distressing event," said Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding. "We want to restore a sense of normalcy and security on the campus as quickly as we can."
No one was injured in any of the incidents but students say these crimes are unnerving.
"The fact that it's becoming progressively more and more crime is scary," said student Taylor Stillings.
Students are now more cautious on campus.
""I have to definitely be more protective at night, especially with people running around at night," said student Ryan Rowe.
"We are on the soccer team so we never really go anywhere alone. We always have, like, one or two people that are with us," Stillings said.
Security has been heightened on campus and a $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the suspects.
"The safety and security of our students is of the utmost importance," Gerl said in a statement. "The McDaniel Alert system was immediately activated and multiple messages were sent throughout the evening. The Department of Campus Safety along with local law enforcement agencies are continuing the investigation and the search for the suspects. The college will provide ongoing support for the students who were involved in the incidents."
Anyone with information regarding these incidents should immediately call Campus Safety at 410-857-2202.
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