Muhlenberg College Students Told To Stay Indoors Following Armed Robbery Report

Muhlenberg College students were asked to stay indoors after an armed robbery was reported on the West Allentown campus of Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night. The shelter-in-place order was lifted later.

Students and faculty were notified around 9:15 p.m EDT. They were asked to remain indoors until an all clearance was issued. According to various reports, the incident took place near Benfer Hall, a residential building for upperclassmen on the south side of the campus.

Around 9 p.m. EDT, two men reportedly approached a community member with a gun-like weapon and demanded money. According to the report published by local news website 69News, one of the two men was in his mid-20s and 6’2” in height. He was wearing all black — gloves, beanie, and was also carrying a black duffle bag.

The second man was apparently in his mid-20s, 5’10” in height, having short hair, a messy beard, and wearing a black sweatshirt. Speaking to the Morning Call, Executive Director of Communications of the college, Bill Keller confirmed the order for the students to stay indoors was in effect even at 10:30 p.m EDT. Officials on the campus, who were there to investigate the matter, could be heard on a police scanner.

The Allentown Police said they responded to the Muhlenberg College campus for a report of an armed robbery alert between 8:45 and 9:45 p.m. The reports said the police could not confirm if the incident involved any student. According to the Morning Call report, Allentown Police Capt. Glen Granitz said, “No injuries have been reported and police officers are there at the scene.”

When the police were asked if students were in any danger, Granitz said there wasn’t any need for the college to issue a shelter order to the students.

According to the Muhlenberg Weekly, two students saw the suspects laughing as they ran on the Benfer balconies. The students mentioned the suspects left Benfer and began running up the hill behind Trexler Library and away from the dorm. However, none of the eyewitnesses recognized the two individuals. It is reported the shelter-in-place order was lifted at 11:17 p.m. EDT.

In another incident, the Florida State University Police Department (FSUPD) is looking for two suspects in an armed robbery near the university campus. According to the reports by WCTV, the incident took place around 12:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday morning in the 500 block of W. College Avenue.

Two students of the Florida State University were walking in the area as the suspects approached them from behind and demanded their personal belongings at gunpoint.

According to the witness, the suspects then got into a silver vehicle and fled the area. The first suspect is described as a black male wearing all dark — hat, a zip-up hoodie jacket, glasses, baggy pants, and a red key chain around his neck. He was armed with a handgun. The second suspect was driving the getaway vehicle and is unknown.

Earlier this month, an armed robbery was reported in Brookline, Massachusetts, near Boston University campus — third such incident in two weeks. The alleged robbers in each case were described as black males who appeared to be between 16 and 24 years old and were wearing sweatshirts, according to Allston Brighton.