Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information from subsequent email alerts sent to the Lehigh community, including the model and license plate of the vehicle, the number of students who were struck by the projectiles and that the suspects are in custody.
Lehigh issued a timely warning this evening after two people reported to the Lehigh University Police Department they were struck by projectiles — possibly from a BB or Airsoft gun — discharged from a moving vehicle near campus.
According to a Hawkwatch Alert issued at 8:51 p.m., the incidents occurred around 8:40 p.m., and the projectiles were fired from a red four-door pickup truck. It also stated the truck was last seen traveling north on Taylor Street and west on Packer Avenue, near Fritz Laboratory.
A follow-up alert sent at 9:37 p.m. identified the vehicle as a red Dodge Dakota pickup truck with Pennsylvania license plate ZYD-3249. It stated the projectiles were discharged by a front passenger in the vehicle, and LUPD received “multiple reports” of students struck by the projectiles between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m.
According to a third update, released at 12:20 a.m., all suspects of the assaults are in custody of LUPD, and there is no further danger to the community.
The university issued these alerts in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires institutions notify the campus community of certain crimes that may pose threats to safety.
An email sent to the community the following afternoon from Jason Schiffer, associate vice president of campus safety and chief of police, and Katherine Lavinder, interim vice president for student affairs, clarified five students sustained minor injuries that did not require emergency treatment. It stated they were struck by polymer water beads from a gel soft gun.
According to the email, an investigation is underway, but this was likely a random act. It stated two adult males and one juvenile male were taken into custody about three hours after the reports, and the suspects have no affiliation with the university.
Schiffer and Lavinder also wrote the incident was able to come to a prompt conclusion due to members of the community acting quickly, and those who feel unsettled by the incident can seek support from their communities within or beyond Lehigh or through resources like Lehigh’s Counseling & Psychological Services.
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