CHENEY, Wash. — A gathering at Eastern Washington University on Thursday with a man gathering signatures for a petition quickly turned into an argument, escalating into threating to fight or shoot students.
On Oct. 19 around 1:50 p.m., a man was outside the Pence Union Building gathering signatures for petitions.
EWU police say that the suspect started arguing with students and used racial slurs. Eventually the argument turned into threats being made towards students.
The man threated to fight students around him and threatened to come back with friends and shoot them.
Witnesses around say that the man was last seen running off campus towards the transit station near north 9th Street and Elm Street. He is described to be about six-feet tall, has reddish-blonde hair, a red beard, heavier set, wearing a possibly blue Gonzaga shirt, red shorts and tennis shoes.
After the police department sent an email to students, EWU President Shari McMahan sent an email to employees and students.
In her email she said, “This type of behavior toward our students and campus community is unacceptable… While outside visitors to our public spaces have the right to exercise their freedom of speech, the university does not tolerate verbal or physical threats – whether explicit or implied.”
Police ask if you saw this happen or have information about the identity of the suspect to please contact them at (509) 359-7676 or call the anonymous tip line at 359-4286.
If you witness or see an incident involving hate speech, bias-related acts or instances of discrimination and racism you can go to the EWU home page and click the “Report Incidents.” All of these reports are taken seriously and investigated to the full extent of university policy and law.
As this incident happened on campus, police have reminded students what to do if they feel unsafe. These include:
If you are frightened, yell “HELP” and call 911.Trust your instincts – If something or someone makes you uneasy, avoid the person or leave.Be observant – Look around. Be aware of your surroundings and the people in them.Remain alert – Know who is walking behind and in front of you. Things to watch for include suspicious persons or vehicles, people who are wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather.
This is an ongoing investigation, information will be updated as we learn more.
