University of Massachusetts Amherst police have confirmed that the two people believed to be responsible for the Feb. 18 assault of a student were signed into the dorm where the crime was committed.
The revelations may offer some relief to school officials, who have invested roughly $1.5 million in dorm security since a campus security review in 2013.
Last week’s assault, which police are still investigating, occurred just after 5 p.m. in Pierpont Hall on campus. Two males who police say were not students attacked a freshman in one of the dorm’s hallways. Police believe the suspects knew the victim. A firearm was shown during the assault but not fired.
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Reports of a firearm on campus prompted police to order a shelter in place, which lasted for approximately two hours.
Police have since named one suspect, 19-year-old William P. McKeown, of Framingham. Charges could include armed robbery, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to masslive.com.
Although it is unclear how quickly police responded to reports of someone with a gun, the university’s interim Police Chief Patrick Archbald said active shooter training has shown police can get anywhere on campus within two and a half minutes.
The school’s dorm entrances are always locked so students can only get in by scanning an ID card. The access control system is connected to a server that handles visitor management and identification so people recently banned cannot enter.
The main lobbies of dorms are also staffed by monitors everyday after 8 p.m. There are no metal detectors on campus.
The university and Amherst police departments continue to investigate the incident.
