You wouldn’t know that a murder happened on B.U.'s campus last week.
There is no police tape around the science one building where 77-year-old, Richard Antoun was stabbed and Monday the building was open for classes, but that doesn’t mean the campus community is not grieving.
“My Professor, she said that if anyone wanted to talk about it, you could just go to her,” said freshman, Daniel Richmond.
Even students who didn’t know professor Antoun personally say what happened still hits home.
“It’s kinda, I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s definitely a shock,” said freshman, Kadeem Gibson.
In a statement on the university’s website, President Lois DeFleur assured students that:
“Binghamton University is a safe campus, but we are not immune from the acts of senseless violence.”
She added that local law enforcement “responded quickly and efficiently to this incident. The suspect, Abdulsalam S. Al-Zahrani, was quickly apprehended and the building evacuated and locked down. This incident was isolated and contained...there was no immediate danger to the rest of the campus community.”
She urges anyone with information related to the investigation to call the University Police at 607-777-4636
And she encouraged students coping with the tragedy to contact the Counseling Center at 777-2393.
Students were also asked to sign-up for the text and e-mail emergency alert system by going to this website:
www2.binghamton.edu/banner/rave.html
DeFleur concluded her statement saying:
“Through peace and intellectual pursuits we can continue to be the kind of community that chooses understanding and respect over hatred, violence and fear, which is what Professor Antoun advocated in his work.”
