Towson’s campus and community news source Online daily at thetowerliiht.com
Thursday, 11-18-10
A cry for help
Pulling out of the University Union garage on Monday, Nov. 8, after her 10
a.ra. class, junior nursing major Samantha Elliot’s only concern was getting
to work by 11:30 a.m.
Two people who appeared to be pushing each other began to move from the
sidewalk and into her lane, so Elliot slowed down to take a closer look. A man
wearing all black, with his nose and mouth covered, was pushing and hitting
a woman, grabbing at her bag.
Pulling over, Elliot did the only thing she could think of: she hit the horn.
"I was literally in shock when I heard her screaming, ‘Help,”' Elliot said. "In
a panic, I just blew on my horn hoping it would scare him and others would
notice too.”
Her plan may have worked. The man grabbed what he could from the bag,
ran across Osier Drive, and headed into the woods, according to Elliot.
"I got out of my car and started helping her and a couple of other people
pick up the money," Elliot said. "I asked her if she was OK, and she said, 'Yes,
unfortunately it happens too often,’ and then she called the police.”
Campus crises
Since 2007, when a shooting spree by Seung-Hui Cho left more than 33
Virginia Tech students and faculty dead, many campuses have heightened
security measures in hopes of preventing such incidents.
Emergency preparedness at universities is still uncertain, though.
Throughout 2010, a slew of incidents occurred at colleges around the country
and close to Towson University’s campus.
Last week, the University was witness to an unknown gunman robbing a
non-affiliate in broad daylight in the parking lot nearest the University Union.
At "Baltimore's metropolitan University," some students have begun to
realize the dangers they may face.
Despite incidents like the early October armed robbery or the Tower
В
armed robbery last March, Towson has yet to lock down campus.
"I would imagine if we were to have an active shooter, that would warrant
[a lock down]; something that would put an indeterminate amount of campus
residents at risk,” Carol Dunsworth, director of University relations, said.
Going back to Tower
В
• мяййИН
Crisis plan in
DANIEL GROSS
Editor-in-Chief
LAUREN SLAVIN
Senior Editor
revision
Amy Sweat, a sophomore music education major, lived on the 13th floor of
Tower
В
when two men allegedly forced their way into a basement level dorm
room with a handgun and crowbar, hitting one victim on the head, locking
the room's two inhabitants in their bathroom, and stealing property including
money and laptops.
While she was not in the building at the time of the incident, she does not
recall being alerted by Tower
В
building staff, and an e-mail from the Towson
University Police Department came four hours after the robbery.
"My first thought was, 'You have got to be kidding me. How on Earth did
they get into the building without an ID?,”’ Sweat said "1 was really concerned
for my safety, even though I was up on the 13th floor, because that made me
think anything was possible, and security was just thrown out the window."
Both suspects were apprehended before mid-April by TUPD, according
to a Towerlight article from that month. The incident was determined to be
isolated. The first three officers who responded to the Tower
В
armed robbery
were awarded the Director’s Award for Excellence. The award was for their
long-term efforts in promoting and implementing several different departmen¬
tal initiatives and programs, according to Joe Herring.
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