Two University students were victims of two separate armed robbery attempts Tuesday night. The would-be robbers, however, walked away empty-handed.
According to Charlottesville Police Capt. Chip Harding, the first incident occurred around 8 p.m. at the corner of Virginia Avenue and 17th Street, near the railroad tracks.
"Two black males in their late teens, early twenties, with their hoodies pulled up held up something resembling a firearm," Harding said. "[The student] sensed they wouldn't shoot, so he kept walking and one of them followed him to class. Once he was inside he called the police."
Shortly there after, another student was accosted by similarly described men while walking along the train tracks. The student was not carrying any money at the time, so he offered them his ATM card and cell phone, which they declined to take, Harding said.
Nothing was stolen from either of the students and neither was harmed. The Charlottesville Police have not made any arrests, but believe that the same assailants were involved in each incident.
Harding expressed his concern as to how the student handled the incident in which the assailants were believed to have a gun.
"The concern is that if someone puts a gun on you, you should never assume they won't use it," Harding said, "So the student is very fortunate to have been able to walk away."
Harding advises that "if someone draws a gun on and tries to rob [you], it's better to cooperate."
Harding went on to add that the railroad tracks are illegal to cross, as well as a dangerous area where robberies, rapes and other types of violence have occurred.
"We always tell our students, and repeat to them first through fourth year, while this is a safe community they have to be aware of their surroundings," University spokesperson Carol Wood, "Each student needs to be responsible for himself or herself and take care of each other. Be smart and think smart"
Read More
Winsome Earle-Sears talks higher education in first U.Va. event of the campaign
By Ford McCracken | 14 hours agoA Jamaican immigrant and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia,
U.Va.'s Earth Day Eco-Fair 2025 spotlights sustainability advocacy
By Leigh Bailey | 15 hours agoStudents from Contracted Independent Organizations and University Office of Sustainability leadership programs each shared their unique perspectives about sustainability advocacy on Grounds.
Student Council votes to relocate Hereford orchard and basketball hoop
By Lauren Seeliger | YesterdayStudent Council passed a resolution Tuesday to relocate the orchard and basketball hoop of Hereford Residential College due to construction in the surrounding area.
