Temple University student chased, assaulted at Morgan Hall, police say
A by a group of minors and assaulted early Sunday morning, police said.
It happened at around 2:50 a.m. on the North Philadelphia campus.
Police said the group struck the student. The student suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment. Temple said the Division of Student Affairs is supporting the student at this time. A computer monitor in the lobby was also broken. Investigators said it's unclear why the group may have wanted to get inside or if this student was targeted.
Temple University Police said it's working with the Philadelphia Police Department and the School District of Philadelphia to identify those involved in the assault. Investigators released photos of a group of nine people they believe are connected to the incident.
"Nobody likes to see anybody get assaulted or victimized in our community," Gaetano Sava, the deputy chief of Temple University Public Safety, said. "We take it very seriously."
"We're still trying to trace back the movements," he added. "But we don't believe they were hanging on the property. The belief is they came off of campus and followed him into the dorm lobby."
Students who live in the dorm said they were surprised something like this would happen.
"Morgan, it's a good community the kids have," Danny Dokov, a freshman, said. "So it's shocking to see that at moments that it can be unsafe, and it's a bit scary to see things like that can happen."
Police said in the wake of the incident, they'll be increasing patrols in the area and monitoring of surveillance cameras. But overall, students said they still feel safe on campus.
"I feel safe, yes," Amanda Martin, a freshman, said. "I've never felt unsafe."
Temple is urging students to use the university's walking escort program and the Flight shuttle service and to report any suspicious behavior to police.
Anyone with information about the assault at Morgan Hall is asked to contact police.