Dear campus community member:
The Campus Safety Notice you received earlier this afternoon regarding an aggravated assault involving air pellet guns prompted community members to contact police with additional reports of a similar nature. We are informing you of these additional incidents in accordance with federal law:
- A U. of I. student reported that he was struck with air pellets at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, while riding an electric bicycle in the 1100 block of West Gregory Drive, Urbana (map). The student did not require medical attention and was unable to provide additional descriptions of any suspect.
- A U. of I. student reported that he was walking with three friends on First Street around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, when they were struck with air pellets discharged from a passing vehicle. The exact location on First Street was not specified. They were struck again at 10:04 p.m. as they walked near First and White streets (map), Champaign. No injuries were reported.
All incidents that have been reported to University Police so far have been disclosed in these notices, but please note that there may be additional incidents of a similar nature that have yet to be reported. We will provide updates as appropriate to keep you informed and in compliance with the federal Clery Act.
Anyone with information about these incidents or others is encouraged to contact the University Police at 217-333-1216. Witnesses may remain anonymous by calling Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477 (373-TIPS), by visiting www.373tips.com or by providing information through the P3 Tips mobile app available on iOS and Android. All messages to Crime Stoppers are electronically stripped of identifying information and forwarded to police by an independent third party.
Our community. Our safety.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is a safe one, but a community of our size will never be crime-free. University Police and its partner law enforcement agencies work hard to prevent crime and to quickly identify and arrest offenders when crime occurs, but you play the most important role in keeping our campus community safe.
- Stay together. Do not walk alone at night. Travel in groups and in well-lit areas. Call 217-333-1216 for a SafeWalks escort if you need one.
- Be alert. Maintaining awareness of your surroundings is critical, especially when traveling at night. Wearing headphones or looking at your phone diminishes your ability to respond to your surroundings. Walk with purpose, and stay attentive.
- Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Call police if something looks odd — we’re happy to assist, and even the smallest bit of information could prevent another crime.
- Watch out for each other. Call 911 immediately if you or someone else is in danger. The University encourages students to take appropriate action to protect others’ safety by reducing students’ fear of legal or disciplinary consequences to the victim or themselves. For more information, please review the Medical Amnesty and Survivor Protections.
- If you choose to consume alcohol, please be responsible. Remember your ability to respond is diminished by overconsumption of alcohol.
- Promptly report crime or suspicious activity. It is more likely that police will be able to identify and apprehend offenders when crimes are reported immediately. Reporting crime or suspicious activity can help to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
If you become concerned about a friend or yourself as a result of this incident, the Student Assistance Center (SAC) can help. Staff in the SAC are available Monday through Friday between 8:30-5 p.m. Additionally, the Emergency Dean Program provides a university administrator who is on-call to assist in health or safety emergency situations that occur after business hours and require an immediate university response. Call 217-333-0050 to reach the SAC or the Emergency Dean. Additional information about these programs and others is available at odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care.
Please take a moment to review these resources we have made available to keep you informed, and consider liking UIPD on Facebook, following us on Twitter or subscribing to our news feed to receive regular updates.