DAYTON — An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection with a shooting at the University of Dayton over the weekend.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the shooting happened during a party in the south student neighborhood along Evanston Avenue late Saturday night.
When authorities arrived on scene, they found a 19-year-old woman who had been shot, according to a spokesperson with Dayton police.
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The gunfire also hit two homes, the spokesperson said.
As previously reported by News Center 7, a shelter-in-place was issued for the university while police investigated.
The victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities reportedly found a suspect and the suspect’s vehicle shortly after the shooting happened.
The 18-year-old man was booked into the Montgomery County Jail for felonious assault, the spokesperson said.
News Center 7 is working to confirm the suspect’s identity.
News Center 7’s Mike Campbell spoke with University of Dayton students about what they experienced.
“I live down there and I hear three gunshots,” Drew Wanke said.
Wanke said he heard the gunfire just down the street.
“And then a few minutes later, I saw an ambulance come through here and the sirens and everything,” Wanke said.
Some other students said there is an increase in problems on campus.
“So over the last three years it’s just pretty much been going up and up as far as like our parties getting shut down, just the criminal activity,” Greg Pooler said.
Seniors aren’t happy that the activity can put a negative light on UD students when, oftentimes, it involves people outside the campus community.
They also admit there’s no good way to keep people who are not students away from campus.
“So, I mean, the President, he’s thinking of like alternatives to this, like situations like this, but just right now, realistically, it doesn’t really look like anything,” Pooler said.
One proposal is to put large parties inside a fenced, controlled environment and only allow students who present IDs to enter.
University of Dayton president Eric Spina released a statement about the incident on Sunday.
“I received the phone call that every university president dreads. Hearing the words “shots fired on campus” caused my heart to sink.
<i>“Last night, I received the phone call that every university president dreads. Hearing the words “shots fired on campus” caused my heart to sink. My immediate and overwhelming concern was for the well-being of our students and the safety of our entire community.</i>
<i>On behalf of University leadership, I want to provide additional information on the situation in the south student neighborhood late Saturday night and the ongoing investigation. I want to speak directly to our UD community about campus safety and stress the importance of being supportive of one another, as everyone will deal with processing this event differently.</i>
<i>First, the person injured was a UD student. We are grateful the student’s injury is not life-threatening and they are recovering with family. We are providing all available support for this individual and hold them in our prayers.</i>
<i>Student Development, the dean of students’ office, housing and residence life, and other campus offices reached out to the residents of the two homes on Evanston Avenue affected by shots fired, to provide support and make sure their needs are being met.</i>
<i>UD Public Safety officers worked with the city of Dayton police through the night – and continue to do so – and have made significant progress on the investigation. They remain focused on bringing it to a conclusion and are using all investigative tools and resources at their disposal. At this point in the investigation, it appears there was a verbal altercation of some kind that escalated into multiple shots being fired. It does not appear the suspect(s) are affiliated with the University nor was anyone at the University a target. We do not believe there is any threat to our campus community at this time.</i>
<i>We once again ask anyone with information about this incident to call University of Dayton Public Safety at 937-229-2121. UD Public Safety and city of Dayton police are collaborating well and are increasing patrols in the student neighborhoods.</i>
<i>We unfortunately continue to hear of incidents of senseless violence, much of it involving firearms, happening on campuses nationwide. Serious incidents of this nature can shake our sense of security, but also underscore the importance of our shared commitment to one another.</i>
<i>We remind everyone in our community of the valuable resources available, if needed, to help process this type of incident:</i>
- Counseling Center, 937-229-3141 and press option 2 to speak with an on-call therapist.
- Student Development, after hours contact UD Public Safety at 937-229-2121.
- Campus Ministry, 937-229-3339.
<i>Campus safety is a partnership between UD Public Safety, the city of Dayton police, and our entire community. We want everyone to feel safe on campus. It is important that students take their personal safety seriously and are aware of who is inside and outside their residence, particularly in the student neighborhoods. As a reminder, if you observe anything on campus that seems strange, suspicious, or makes you uneasy, please call Public Safety at 937-229-2121. </i>
<i>While the neighborhoods are considered part of our campus, these are city of Dayton streets and are widely accessible.</i>
<i>University leadership, including UD Public Safety and the emergency management committee, will conduct a thorough review of this incident with the goal of providing additional guidance and education to our community. This will further inform two key working groups already in place that are exploring all aspects of campus safety, specifically surrounding large gatherings, the openness of our campus, and the potential for more controlled access.</i>
<i>Because there are still a number of unknowns about this incident, we ask that you not spread misinformation and instead turn to trusted University sources for information. We must be careful not to allow fear or division to control our actions.</i>
<i>We also ask you to support one another during this time and seek support for yourself if needed. Our community is defined by its unity, respect, and care for one another. We must actively work to make our UD home an environment where every single student feels safe and valued. We are stronger together when we lean on our Catholic, Marianist values of community and inclusivity, two hallmarks of our university.</i>
<i>Provost Darlene Weaver, Vice President for Student Development Casey Gill, and representatives from UD Public Safety will attend the SGA meeting at 6 p.m. today in Kennedy Union ballroom.</i>
<i>The University will provide additional updates as needed. Join me in holding our community in prayer."</i>
— University of Dayton President Eric Spina
This shooting remains under investigation by UD Public Safety and Dayton police.
News Center 7 will continue following this story.
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