A female Boston University student was reportedly the victim of an attempted armed robbery Tuesday night, according to a Boston University alert.
A message sent to students reported that two young black males with a handgun attacked the victim in an attempted robbery at about 8:40 p.m. at 808 Commonwealth Ave.
BUPD reported the victim was unharmed and no items were stolen from her. The suspects fled the scene on foot.
The suspects were described as wearing hooded sweatshirts.
Officers from the Boston Police Department assisted in the report of the robbery.
BPD could not provide additional details on what the suspects look like, said BPD spokesman David Estrada.
“We did respond to 808 Commonwealth Ave. for report of armed robbery,” Estrada said. “One female victim claims two black males approached her and possibly had a weapon, maybe a gun, but everything is preliminary, so we don’t have descriptions, and at this point, it’s a report of an armed robbery.”
This is the fourth armed robbery near BU in two weeks, where suspects involve two or three young black males wearing different colored hooded sweatshirts.
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Sam Hodak said he is surprised by the frequency of robberies.
“Usually there’s one in a year, this is four in a semester — it’s ridiculous,” he said.
The first incident occurred on Sept. 23, when two BU students were robbed on Thorndike Street in Brookline at 2:55 a.m. Two suspects displayed handguns and stole the students’ personal belongings.
Three BU students were robbed by three suspects displaying a black handgun at about 5 p.m. on Sept. 26 in the area of Egmont Street and St. Paul Street.
On Oct. 5, a recent BU graduate was robbed by three suspects, one of whom was carrying a handgun, at about 5:15 p.m. near St. Paul Street and Thatcher Street.
In all three crimes, the suspects were described as two or three young black males. Suspects were described as wearing hooded sweatshirts in the Oct. 5 and Sept. 26 incidents.
Hodak said he thinks the robberies are connected to one another.
“My guess is it’s the same people,” he said. “They’re doing it because they got away with it before.”
Mary Danielewski, a College of Fine Arts junior, said she took classes in 808 Commonwealth Ave. over the summer and is anxious about the string of robberies.
“It’s pretty terrifying,” she said. “I’m honestly most worried about my computer being taken because most of the things in your wallet, you can replace, except for cash. Losing my computer and all my art, because I’m a graphic design student, would be devastating.”
Danielewski said she is also nervous about living off campus in Allston due to the recent robberies.
“It’s pretty scary to walk alone at night. I try not to,” she said. “I definitely am more scared than I used to be.”
CAS sophomore Jimmy Briggs said that while the robberies are startling, being located in a city may be a risk factor regarding crime.
“The cops are doing all they can,” he said. “It’s still unsettling that they can’t catch them. If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. It doesn’t matter if you have friends with you if they have a gun … though, it’s not that shocking that this sort of thing happens in Boston.”
Ashley Andrade, a College of Communication freshman, said she attended the BU Academy before enrolling in BU and never noticed such a string of crimes.
“I’ve been on campus for four years,” she said. “It’s never been like this before. It’s happening at 5 p.m. Usually when you get alerts like this, it’s off-campus robberies or at odd hours when you wouldn’t typically be out.”
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I really would like to know what is being done about this situation. I have a daughter at BU. I have always felt safe in Boston and on the BU campus but this situation is getting out of hand. The students are like sitting ducks! I would hope that actions are being taken some obvious and some not to catch the armed robbers. I would feel better, as a parent, knowing a little more than what I read on Twitter, the Daily Free Press and BU Today. Some communication from the administration would be nice.
I’d like everyone to take a breath, and realize that while yes, we’re on BU’s “campus”, we’re really just one street that isn’t separated from Boston proper. This situation is advantageous in some instances, and disadvantageous in others. On the plus side, public transportation is very accessible on our campus, and it takes very little to get out into the city. The consequence of this, however, is that we don’t have a closed campus; while we do have a police force working on our campus, it’s difficult to account for the criminals that just walk onto our campus from side streets.
As I walked down Comm. Ave today, I saw there was essentially a BUPD cruiser every block; believe it or not, these steps were also taken before last night’s robbery. I’m kind of sick and tired of people saying that BU isn’t doing enough to keep students safe; first, the investigation is primarily being carried out by Brookline Police. As such, the dozens of people I’ve seen and heard calling BUPD “lazy” for not catching these guys is moronic.
The truth of the matter is that, likely, these four incidents have been carried out by the same three people over the space of roughly two weeks. They come from a place that is probably right near Commonwealth Avenue. They are most likely not BU students. While yes, we do have a right to be worried (and yes, I am hesitant to walk home alone now), we attend a school that is in one of the larger metropolitan areas in the Northeastern United States. Crime happens in cities. The most important thing right now is that students prepare themselves for a situation in which they’re forced to walk home alone, and take these steps:
1.) Try to take the shuttle if possible.
2.) Utilize BUPD’s Escort Service. Their phone number is on the back of your Terrier Cards, and they will send someone (if not 2 people) to walk you home.
3.) Stay alert. Don’t wear headphones home or talk/text on your cell phone. Be sure to know what’s going on around you at all times.
4.) Mentally prepare yourself for what you will do if, heaven forbid, you are confronted by the robbers. Nothing is worth losing your life for, so cooperate. I know this sounds silly, and I know that how one behaves in the moment is a wild card, but having it in your mind what you will do if confronted will go a long way toward easing your mind and making the right decisions when the time comes.
5.) If you are confronted by the robbers, or if you see them running away, call 911. It’s a no-brainer really, but still has to be put out there.
6.) If you and a number of people witness a crime being committed, contact BUPD at 617-353-2121. The BU Alerts that let everyone know about something happening hinge on the BU Police finding out about the robbery happening. Calling 911 will direct you to Boston Police, who will then redirect you to Brookline Police, and BUPD are far from the first people alerted. If someone alerts BU as soon as possible after the event occurs, the sooner the rest of the student population can be alerted to the potential danger.
Basically, what I’m saying is this: it is not bad to be afraid. The idea of strangers coming onto campus and robbing students is terrifying; that being said, don’t let this fear translate into something negative. Don’t go home and plaster social media outlets with unfounded critiques of the police department, who are doing their best to keep us safe. Don’t complain about BU not doing enough to keep you safe. Instead, be productive about keeping yourself and others informed about what to do (and not to do) in the case of an emergency.
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