A Duke student was robbed by two suspects with chrome handguns near the intersection of Wannamaker Dr. and Chapel Dr. at approximately 1 a.m. Monday. The suspects left the scene in a red truck or SUV after taking several items from the victim. No injuries were reported. The Chronicle's Samantha Neal spoke with the victim, who wished to be identified as a sophomore male student, about his experience.
The Chronicle: Can you tell me what happened?
I was walking near the roundabout where Chapel Drive and Flowers [Drive] connect, and a car passed by, slightly too slowly to be normal to where it set off some subconscious, gut reaction that I should be walking quicker toward my dorm. So I started picking up my pace walking to Wannamaker, where there are stairs that go down to Edens, and I was maybe 50 or 100 feet away from the actual roundabout within sight of the dorms. That’s when I heard two people running up behind me. My first thought was, “Man, that’s weird for people to be taking a jog at 1 a.m.,” but that’s when one of them turned me and they both started yelling at me and then pulled out guns and stuck them in my face.
They asked for my wallet, and I pulled it out and showed them that I didn’t have any money. They were maybe mad because I didn’t have any money, so they asked for my phone with the gun still pointed at my head. The other one asked me what I had in my backpack and told me to just take it off. Then they took my backpack and just ran off back up Wannamaker towards the main circle.
TC: What was stolen?
My laptop, my phone, my wallet—which included my driver’s license, social security card, passport information and Duke card. I also had a pretty nice pair of headphones, my textbook and all of my notes from this semester. They didn’t take my keys luckily.
TC: What were you thinking in the moment?
When they were running up behind me I thought they were joggers. When they pointed guns at my face, I was mostly just surprised. It happened so fast I didn't really have time to process what was happening until after the fact.
TC: Is there anything you would like to say about things you wish had happened differently or advice to students?
I’d like to see Duke focus on the crux of the issue with burglaries on campus and security. When I ran down to Edens [after the robbery], there was a security guard that was right there, and I was also within sight of a help light. But I could do nothing about it. There were two chrome guns to my head as I’m looking at the help sign. Hopefully, maybe we’ll look into a gated campus one day in the future. I think that might be helpful in reducing things like this. It’s pretty scary. I could see lights on in the dorm and these people had guns pointed into my face. It was crazy.
I never really thought this would happen. I almost thought they were my friends at first. It all happened so quickly, I couldn’t even think.
TC: What has been going on today? Have you gotten any updates?
No updates as far as solving it or getting my stuff back.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.