Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty
ElevenTemple Universitystudents were robbed at gunpoint at an off-campus apartment on Saturday, according to theschool’s Vice President for Public SafetyJennifer Griffin.
The robbery took place outside of the patrol zone of the Temple University Police Department, per the school, and the PPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information.
“Violence against one of us affects all of us,” a release from the college reads. “Any incident affecting a member of our community is treated with the utmost care and concern. Our Division of Student Affairs is working with the students affected to provide on-campus housing, counseling, and other trauma-informed resources.”
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At the time of the robbery, six female residents, three boyfriends and two friends were reportedly in the home. They told WPVI that they were able to get ahold of laptops in the basement and contact friends, and added that they think the robbers were at the wrong home, as they asked “Where are the drugs?”
The station reported that the intruders stole a 2015 Infinity minivan, and had students give them their cell phones, car keys and debit cards with PINs.
“I think the sad part is, we all talked in the room — we all realized that once they came in the room, everyone was kind of, ‘Oh, it’s our time now,'” one student said.
Temple has since encouraged students to download a safety app and consider shuttle services, and is also pointing them toward its Best Nest Program. The program allows students to find housing off campus that meets “certain safety and security criteria.”
“You never think it’s going to happen to you, but when it does, it’s like a shock,” a student told the local station, which reported another home invasion took placeon Wednesday.
Sophomore Kayla Barone, per WPVI, woke up to three masked home intruders before she and her two roommates were also locked in a room and made to hand over their personal belongings. The intruders left when they realized she called 911 already.
source: people.com
