At least two Georgia State University students were robbed at gunpoint during two separate incidents in one night, campus police said.
The two incidents occurred within an hour of each other overnight Thursday outside the university’s library and in front of its law school. One student reported a gunman snatched at her hair and fired a shot, but no one was seriously injured in either incident, according to campuswide alerts.
After looking into whether the two incidents were connected, police told Channel 2 Action News on Monday that they are not related.
The first armed robbery was reported at 11:45 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Collins and Decatur streets, near the campus library and bookstore. Paul Nkengasong, a GSU student, told Channel 2 that he was approached by two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks who took his bookbag at gunpoint.
“The guy with the gun cocks the gun in my face, and that’s when I let go of the bag,” he said. “After that, they ask me to empty my pockets, and I grab my wallet and keys and throw them on the ground and run toward the library.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
About a half-mile away, at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Park Place, two women reported they were robbed at gunpoint just after 12:30 a.m. Friday. They said the man was driving a black 2000s model Chevrolet sedan.
“Georgia State University police received a call from two GSU students who stated that an unknown suspect attempted to rob them,” police said in an alert sent to the university community. “He snatched one of the victims’ hair and discharged a firearm at them as they ran away.”
University police Chief Chief Spillane told AJC.com that one of the women is a current student and the other is not currently enrolled. The women told investigators they recognized the gunman as the same man who approached them on foot earlier in the evening.
The violent night comes two weeks after another Georgia State student was robbed and pistol-whipped while walking to her car in the school’s blue lot, one of the few places on campus that students can park for free. She was approached by two gunmen about 6 p.m. Sept. 27, according to police.
RELATED: Georgia State student robbed at gunpoint, pistol-whipped in campus parking lot
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
She told investigators the men jumped into her vehicle and demanded her belongings, and when she fought back, one of the robbers hit her with his gun. Police found a round lodged in the passenger seat, AJC.com previously reported.
No suspects are in custody in that case, but Spillane said they are working some pretty good leads. He has assigned additional officers to patrol the blue lot and nearby green lot.
After the third incident, Spillane said they will need to allocate even more resources to evening patrols. Officers had been moved to the day shift this week ahead of the Atlanta Pride festival.
He does not intend to move any officers off their current assignments, but Spillane has authorized overtime and everyone in the department is putting on a uniform this week to make sure all bases are covered.
“We're an urban campus right in the middle of downtown Atlanta, so it’s bound to happen occasionally, but we just want to make sure it doesn’t become anything of a norm,” he said.
Campus police are reminding students to be aware while looking at their phones or listening to music and walking around downtown.
“Unless you know the individual, please do not allow them to use your mobile phone, especially when they ask while in a vehicle,” police said in one alert.
Safety escorts can be requested through the police department at 404-413-2100. Anyone with information about any of the recent incidents is asked to contact police at the same number or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Tipsters can be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000 by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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