A suspect wanted in relation with a shooting incident in Greenville County ended up near campus last month, prompting an emergency alert by the Furman University Police Department (FUPD).
According to Furman Chief of Police Tom Saccenti, in the late hours of Sun., Aug. 30, a male suspect allegedly shot at his ex-girlfriend’s house and fled to a house near Publix where deputies of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest him.
“Upon the deputies’ arrival, the suspect exited the vehicle with a gun and fled the scene, running behind the house and out of sight,” Saccenti said.
A RAVE Emergency Alert was sent out to the Furman community via text and email at 11:52 p.m. warning the student body that the suspect was “armed and dangerous” and urging students to “remain vigilant.” After the suspect was arrested behind Monterey’s, another alert was sent at 12:38 a.m. informing the students of the apprehension.
The incident gave attention to many of the different public safety measures that students have available to them for emergency situations like this one. The RAVE alert mentioned two of these: Safe Ride and LiveSafe.
Safe Ride was implemented during the 2013-2014 academic year as a secure option for transportation around campus during night hours (7 p.m. – 1 a.m.). This year, the shuttle also runs in the morning (7:30 – 11:30 a.m.). A Safe Ride can be scheduled at night by calling university police at 864-294-2111 and the vehicle meets in routine spots for morning transport. These areas can be found on LiveSafe.
LiveSafe is a smartphone app that allows students to report crimes, schedule Safe Rides and police transport, and contact 911 for health emergencies in tandem with contacting FUPD. Saccenti says the application makes the process of reaching individuals and tracking crimes much simpler.
“The LiveSafe app is like having a blue light pole in your pocket,” Saccenti said.
Junior Joey Graham said he took precautions when he received the RAVE alert last month, but ultimately was not too worried about the situation.
“It didn’t scare me that much because I believe that our campus safety is good and I trust FUPO,” Graham said.
