It's a scary time to be a young person on LSU's campus. Recently, there have been a string of attacks and attempted abductions on and around the Baton Rouge school grounds. The occurrences started Sunday, Jan. 27 and have continued the last few days. Students have reported being approached, followed and chased by men, and reporting battery. Also, an armed robbery took place on Monday, Jan. 28 in one of the campus parking lots.
The LSU Police Department has issued a statement to parents since the attacks, assuring that they are investigating the instances thoroughly and safely is their number one priority. "As a father, I understand your concern, and I want you to know that police are utilizing all resources at their disposal to apprehend those responsible for these incidents," says Bart Thompson, LSU Chief of Police. "These crimes are not acceptable and they take away from the great work your students are doing on our campus each and every day. The university and LSU PD work hard to ensure your students have a safe place to get an education."
Students have taken to social media to spread awareness of these attacks, warning each other and sharing tips on how to stay safe. Tweets of stories and warnings from students originally went viral to warn people about the assaults, and now other posts are going viral as reactions and calls-to-action for LSU administration.
"It's pretty terrifying. There's a lot to think about on a given school day and my safety shouldn't be one of them," says LSU sophomore Alyssa Mayet. Students are now directly calling upon LSU administration to do something about the issues before things escalate even further.
You can read more about the police investigation here, but in the meantime, please stay safe tigers. Don't walk anywhere alone, stay aware of your surroundings at all times, and make sure you have the LSU Shield app downloaded on your phone (this can help you report any occurrence, as well as call LSU PD instantly).
In case of an emergency, call the LSU Police Department at (225) 578-3231 or call 911.
