Elon University Alerts Students After Gun Assault Near Campus

An Elon University student was attacked at gunpoint near the Love Family Student Commons Building in the Station at Mill Point Neighborhood in the early hours of Sunday morning, touching off a university response that unfolded in stages over nearly ten hours as officials steadily filled in details the initial alert had left out.

The assault occurred at 2:38 a.m. April 5. Campus police did not issue an E-Alert until roughly 4 a.m., about an hour and twenty minutes after the incident, during which time an armed suspect was unaccounted for in a neighborhood that borders campus housing. The overnight alert told students a gun had been used and that the suspect, described only as wearing all black, had fled on foot toward Ball Park Ave. It urged anyone with information to call Elon Campus Safety and Police at 336-278-5555.

More than nine hours later, at 12:22 p.m., Vice President of Student Life Jon Dooley sent a follow-up email to the student body that supplied what the predawn text had not: a victim and an outcome. "A student had been assaulted by an unknown male individual near the Love Family Student Commons Building in the Station at Mill Point Neighborhood," Dooley wrote. "The student was able to resist and get away from the assailant, reach safety, and immediately report the incident."

Dooley confirmed the suspect remained at large, reiterating the all-black clothing description and noting the individual had left on foot.

Sergeant Mike Brewer of Campus Safety and Police, citing an active investigation, declined to release additional case specifics but called on both students and the wider community to stay vigilant. "All students and all citizens just need to be aware of their surroundings. And if they find or see anything suspicious, just call us, let us come out and check it out," Brewer said.

Interim Campus Safety and Police Chief Douglas Dotson stated that officers would respond with heightened visibility. "Officers will continue to maintain increased presence and conduct additional patrols in the area," Dotson said. He also encouraged students to use the university's escort services.

As of Sunday afternoon, no arrest had been announced. Anyone with information can reach Elon Campus Safety and Police at 336-278-5555, which operates around the clock.