April 15, 2019

Loyola Community,

Today at approximately 2:45 p.m., threatening harassment messages, sent through electronic means, were being directed at four individual students. These students had been involved, to varying degrees, in an incident earlier in the day at the Damen Student Center, which involved a non-Loyola individual who was returning a cell phone that had been lost by one of the students involved. We are sure that the non-Loyola individual involved in this incident left the campus and is no longer in the campus vicinity. The Campus Safety Department takes this type of messaging seriously and is working with the Chicago Police Department on the investigation.

If you make arrangements to meet someone you do not know, please reach out to Campus Safety at 773.508.6039 for assistance and to arrange a meeting at our station. We want to help assure your safety. If they will not meet you at our station, it is probably not worth taking the risk.

Campus Safety is working closely with the Chicago Police Department on the investigation. If anyone has information on the incident, please call Campus Safety at 773.508.SAFE or the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 or 312.744.8263. The Chicago Police Department also continues to investigate leads related to other recent violent incidents in the district, and any new updates will be posted to the 24th District Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) and CLEARMAP websites. Please also keep the following risk-reduction tips in mind:

• If a person threatens you, follow any demands and run away as soon as it is safe to do so. Once in a safe place, immediately notify Campus Safety at 773.508.SAFE or the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 or 312.744.8263.
• Investigative follow-up will be dependent on the amount of detail a person can recall. It is important to remember as many identifying characteristics about the offender(s) as possible. This can include the license plate of any involved vehicle, physical characteristics of the person, their clothing, any weapons used, direction of flight, etc.
• If you see something you believe to be suspicious, immediately contact Campus Safety or the Chicago Police Department.

Campus Safety recognizes that survivors are not at fault for any crime. Students who are seeking resources related to acts of violence can contact the Wellness Center at 773.508.2530 or visit the Community Coalition on Gender-Based Violence website. Faculty and staff in need of resources are encouraged to utilize the University’s Employee Assistance Program.

Sincerely,

Thomas K. Murray
Chief of Police and Director of Campus Safety