Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Student Robbed at Gunpoint

ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA
ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA The male suspect in a Wednesday robbery was arrested by GUPD officers in the Leavey Center.

A Georgetown student was robbed at gunpoint near the McDonough School of Business on Wednesday evening around 9:45 p.m.

The Georgetown University Police Department and Metropolitan Police Department are currently investigating the incident, according to a Public Safety Alert that was sent out to the university community shortly before midnight.

Two suspects, described in the Public Safety Alert as a slender black male wearing a red checkered shirt and a black female with a facial piercing, approached the student outside the Rafik B. Hariri Building. The student reported that the male suspect pulled out a silver revolver while the female suspect demanded the student’s wallet.

The male suspect was arrested Friday in the Leavey Center shortly before 5 p.m.

Four police officers tackled the suspect outside of the Georgetown University Alumni Student Federal Credit Union.

Chief of Police Jay Gruber said GUPD responded to a student call.

“A student called us saying that somebody who matches the description was in the Leavey Center,” Gruber said.

He added that the suspect was not attempting to rob anyone before his arrest.

“He didn’t attempt to commit any more crimes during the times we were observing him or arresting him,” Gruber said.

Gruber also commended the officers who successfully arrested the suspect.

“The police officers who arrested him did an outstanding job considering the fact they thought he might be armed,” Gruber said.

Jade Beguelin (SFS ’18) was studying outside of Vital Vittles and witnessed the arrest.

“I heard a real big commotion. … Then I heard a lot of screaming and yelling and ‘Get down.’ I walked over to see what was happening and I see this guy who matched the description on the email about the burglary. He was wearing a red and black checkered shirt. A couple of police officers pinned him down. They came to everyone at Vittles and told everyone to leave because this person has a weapon,” Beguelin said.

GUPD also confirmed the arrest on Twitter and Instagram.

Officers closed off the area around the Georgetown University Bookstore for about an hour after the incident. The suspect was removed from the premises on a stretcher around 5:40 p.m.

Gruber also noted that there were several sightings of the suspect Wednesday evening in the same area before the initial armed robbery.

“Witnesses reported seeing the suspects at several different locations within and around the Leavey Center,” Gruber wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Gruber added that GUPD did not activate the university’s emergency notification system, HOYAlert, Wednesday evening, due to conclusions that the suspects had already left campus.

“In this case, based on witness statements and the on-scene investigation by GUPD and MPD, the suspects had left the campus,” Gruber wrote. “If the on-scene investigation had revealed that the suspects may have remained on campus a HOYAlert would have been sent.”

The female suspect has still not been located.

This story has been updated. Isabel Binamira contributed reporting.

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  • A

    anonymousMay 9, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    No comment on why the suspect was removed in a stretcher? What went down here?

    Reply
    • C

      C2012May 12, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      GUPD tackled the guy. Say he had mono and his spleen ruptured on contact and the guy died on the spot. That would have been their bad. Just taking precautions.

      Reply
  • 2

    2016May 8, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    I remember a few people complaining that GUPD published suspect descriptions during that last string of robberies a few months ago, arguing that the practice was racist. I hope those people reconsider now that a suspect description led directly to the capture of an armed criminal on campus (one who had already threatened to kill a student, no less).

    Reply
    • A

      Agee CompletelyMay 9, 2015 at 12:09 am

      100% agree. Racial profiling is a bad system for things like ‘random’ drug searches but it’s not the same thing as identifying someone based on skin color and should not be conflated with identification. Skin color is one of the easiest identifying attributes to notice and hardest to conceal on account of the simple fact that it covers the entire body. Removing it from descriptions would only decrease the chance of criminals getting caught and do nothing to challenge racist opinions. Removal might even bolster racism as criminals are often thought of by whites as normatively black and the sheer number of white suspects GUPD sends notifications about helps to challenge that subliminal preconception.

      Reply
  • G

    GUPD?May 7, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    What’s worrisome about this is the fact that e-mails about this were sent out about three hours after the robbery occurred. If there are people walking around campus threatening students with a gun, shouldn’t there be a more proactive response? Plenty of people walk home from the MSB at that time, and it would have been nice to get some sort of text or something warning at least not to walk back home alone.

    Reply
    • A

      AgeedMay 8, 2015 at 5:16 pm

      Agreed. For example some person just got arrested in the leavey center for an unknown reason half and hour ago and still no word from DPS on why they’re evacuating parts of the building and closing entrances.

      Reply