Separate armed holdups near Temple may be connected: police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Temple University student is opening up about a terrifying incident near campus after a man pointed a gun at his chest, demanding his cellphone and more.
It was just one of two armed holdups that have happened near the university over the past week.
Finals week at Temple University began last week, but the student who spoke with CBS Philadelphia isn't just worried about getting good grades but also about his safety after he had a gun pointed at his chest during a walk home.
"It's hard to go to class when you're in fear of safety," the Temple student said.
A Temple University sophomore student who wants to remain anonymous claims a man approached him and his two friends along the 1600 block of West Berks Street and demanded they empty their pockets.
It happened just after midnight Sunday as the students were headed home from a friend's house.
"My heart rate is pumping, I don't even know how to act," he said. "I'm just telling him, 'Calm down, you can have my stuff, just don't shoot me.'"
The student says the suspect wanted cash but they didn't have their wallets on them.
The suspect then changed his tone.
"After that, he put the gun away and he said, 'Don't worry, you guys need to calm down, I'm not gonna shoot you or harm you or anything,'" the student said. "And then, he was talking to us about, I don't even know, just how he was trying to do it for his family and how to provide and things like that. He just said college students are an easy target."
The Philadelphia Police Department is also investigating a separate incident that allegedly happened Thursday night on the 1800 block of North Willington Street. In that case, an armed suspect is accused of taking wallets from two Temple students.
Police say that armed robbery is around the corner from the attempted armed robbery Sunday night and could be connected.
Temple University's vice president of public safety, Jennifer Griffin, wrote in an email to students, "The Philadelphia Police Department Central Detective Division is leading the investigation to see if there are any linkages between the crimes."
"It's a little scary because you never know if it could happen again," the Temple student in the attempted armed robbery case said.
The armed robbery and attempted robbery happened after a string of armed home invasions that happened last month and appeared to target Temple students.
