On Thursday, RPI freshman Christopher LaMora was assaulted by an unknown person outside Bray Hall. The attack occurred at approximately 11:15 pm after the student and the attacker engaged in a brief conversation.
"I was sitting outside waiting on my girlfriend and two black guys came up to me. The guy asked what time it was and then he just belted me. The other guy was laughing as they both ran off," said LaMora.
LaMora suffered a gash above his lower lip and received 14 stitches at Samaritan Hospital.
Leads are marginal with no current suspects, but Public Safety has released a description of the suspects in a campuswide crime alert. The attacker, who fled north in an orange t-shirt and gray sweats is described as a black male between the ages of 18 and 21, 6’ 1" in height, and weighing between 180 and 220 pounds. The other suspect wore glasses and fled the scene in gray sweats and a red t-shirt. He is described as a black male between the ages of 18 and 21, approximately between 5’ 8" and 5’ 10" tall and weighed between 210 and 220 pounds.
LaMora believes that the attack was part of a gang initiation. He plans to speak about the attack at the RPI town meeting hosted by Dr. Jackson.
Public Safety is working in conjunction with the Troy Police to get more information from the community.
"This seems to be a relatively isolated incident—students should take precautions but shouldn’t be overly worried," said Interim Dean of Students Mark Smith. Smith went further, stating that RPI is a safe campus and that all safety incidents should be of concern to the RPI community.
"Until I heard [about the incident] I thought I was safe," Crockett Hall freshman Pinar Kuruc said.
Assistant Director of Public Safety Mark Del Vecchio urged students to take advantage of the security arrangements currently in place on campus. "Students should take advantage of the escort service offered by Public Safety and the campus call boxes if they are at all concerned about their safety—that is what they are there for," said Del Vecchio. He also said that the community is the eyes and ears to solving crimes, and asked for the community’s assistance in solving this and future crimes.
This is the second assault on-campus in little over a month. The other assault occurred on July 28 at Brinsmade Terrace when a pizza delivery person from Congress Street Pizza was mugged at gun point by six to seven men. "There is no connection between the previous assault and the Bray Hall assault," said Del Vecchio.
