Search for shooter continues
January 31, 2007
Nearly two months have passed since South Campus residents woke up to find police helicopters and SWAT teams patrolling South Campus and the surrounding area in search of an armed suspect responsible for firing shots at police on Dec. 6, 2006.
The incident left the University’s South Campus residents feeling helpless and alarmed by the thought of danger hitting close to home. Questions of personal safety ran rampant through the student body – especially among members of the freshman class.
Students were angered by a lack of communication from the administration concerning the events that took place.
Now, the question running through the minds of those in the Villanova community is: “Whatever happened to the unidentified suspect?”
According to Radnor Police Administration Lieutenant Anthony J. Antonini III the suspect has yet not been caught.
“We have not yet found the suspect,” Antonini said. “The matter is still under investigation at this time.”
Villanova Public Safety officers have worked hard to ensure the protection of all students, but even administrators admitted that a situation like the shooting was not very forseeable.
Vice President of Student Life the Rev. Father John Stack, O.S.A., believes that the most important aspect of the incident was the final lesson the administration learned from the ordeal.
“The need to communicate more clearly and quickly with students is important,” Stack said. “Therefore, we have put some steps in to try to make that happen.”
Public Safety was well represented on South Campus at the time of the incident, so there have not been any major changes in procedures.
“Public Safety interacted well with Radnor Police,” Stack commented. “All of the buildings were covered well and appropriately.”
While the miscommunication was not intentional, the effort to release information will become a priority in the event that this would happen again, administrators said..