ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY POLICE

August 26, 2024

REPORTED OFFENSE:

On August 24, 2024, at 3:20 a.m. ISU Police received a report of an assault that occurred approximately an hour earlier. Four suspects confronted a student on a scooter near the Bone Student Center, knocking him from the scooter and punching him in the face. The student reported being repeatedly referred to with homophobic, offensive terms. The suspects left, and the student returned to an off-campus residence and declined any medical assistance.

Because this incident is both a crime and the language used by the suspects may indicate it was motivated by bias, it is being actively investigated as a hate crime. ISU Police has been investigating throughout the weekend, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call detectives at (309) 438-8631. Illinois Department of Human Rights (https://cdhc.illinois.gov/report-hate.html) provides more information about bias-motivated incidents, hate crimes, and your reporting options.

Understandably, a crime such as this creates significant concern on our campus. We are focused on the safety of our entire Redbird community. We care about you and your safety and are committed to ensuring a safe campus environment in which everyone can learn, work, and thrive.

It is with your safety in mind that we share the following crime prevention tips:

CRIME PREVENTION TIPS:

-Use Redbird Safe Walk (309-438 WALK) or the Safe Redbirds App for walking escorts and virtual safe walk features 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

-Stay alert to your surroundings and the people around you. Avoid wearing headphones, talking or texting on your cell phone, or anything that can distract you, including excessive consumption of alcohol.

-Travel in groups and avoid going out alone at night.

-Plan the safest route to your destination; choose well-lit, busy pathways and streets.

-If someone is bothering or harassing you, tell the person in a loud voice to STAY AWAY.

-Carry your cell phone with you and be prepared to call 911 with a description of the suspect.

-If you are a victim or witness, call the police immediately, and try to remember as many details as possible.

-Call police immediately if you observe suspicious activity.

This Crime Advisory is issued in compliance with the Timely Notice provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal statute governing the reporting and disclosure of crimes on college campuses.

For a complete listing of Crime Advisories, and the Daily Crime Log of Illinois State University Police, go to the Illinois State University Police website http://Police.IllinoisState.edu