Robbery update

The student robbed in Burstein Hall last Wednesday night, who Boston Police said was involved in a botched drug deal, has been reported to the Office of Student Conflict and Conduct Resolution (OSCCR), NU Director of Public Relations Renata Nyul said.
Because all OSCCR cases are classified, Nyul said she could not release the student’s name.
Akil Washington, 24, of Lincoln, is wanted for armed robbery of the student. According to the Boston Police Department (BPD), the student signed Washington into Burstein Hall, 454 Huntington Ave., at about 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 to “engage in an illegal drug transaction.”
Washington, who police said knew the student, then showed the student he was carrying a firearm, stole a laptop the student was carrying and fled the building on foot. As of press time, police have not made any arrests in the case.
While Northeastern University Division of Public Safety (NUPD) officers were investigating the incident early Thursday morning, an officer heard a voice he believed to be Washington’s from 550 Parker Ave., a Wentworth Institute of Technology administrative building near Burstein Hall.
BPD sent a bomb squad to 550 Parker Ave. at 1:13 a.m. Thursday, BPD spokesperson Eileen Driscoll said. They did not find the suspect.
An NU Alert was sent shortly before 4:30 p.m. Thursday to alert student of the incident.
“The safety and security of our community is a top priority,” the statement said. “Please remember to do your part by exercising caution and common sense, by staying aware of your surroundings, and by following sound personal safety practices on and off campus.”
Though it did not mention Burstein Hall by name, the statement said BPD officials alerted NUPD to a seemingly unrelated wave of recent robberies of college students carrying laptops, music players, cell phones and back packs on Mission Hill. The robberies were committed by a group of teenage males, the statement said. NUPD officials declined to comment further.
Anyone with information about Washington’s whereabouts can contact the anonymous BPD CrimeStoppers Hot Line at 1-800-494-TIPS.

6 comments

NUparent

Wed Oct 21 2009 17:24

As a parent I feel it is the responsiblity of the students to maintain their own safety in some respects. This student let a drug dealer into his dorm. It isn't a situation where an armed person was wandering aimlessly around the campus. The possible explosives were not on campus but as the above poster says quite a distance from campus on St. Stephens.

your name

Sun Oct 18 2009 03:24

It is most likely because the arriving officers on scene saw "the writing on the wall", in regards to the botched drug deal. If you expect a NU Alert everytime a drug dealer/robber/armed individual is on or around campus......time to find a new city.....

The explosives were in a contained spot on a city street, unless you or your kid has a hard time seeing a bomb squad and the entourage of police officers/rescue personal, I think things would have been fine.

abc123

Fri Oct 16 2009 16:01

we get alerts at 7am for snow but not for a gun and bomb on campus? Wow what are we waiting for Virginia Tech part 2?

Your name

Thu Oct 15 2009 23:33

Geniuses, there was no bomb scare on campus. There was a weird package all the way down St. Stephens away from campus.

And seriously, NU Alerts? I think if they really thought there was a danger they would have done some sort of lockdown.

77ey3

Thu Oct 15 2009 19:06

I agree with Paula-both these things happened VERY early morning and I didn't even first find out from NU...people in my office at co-op saw it in the news and that's how i find out. then we get an alert HOURS later after a whole business day has passed...? I don't care if you're trying to make the wording look PR-appropriate so Northeastern doesn't look too scary...there was a gun and a bomb scare on campus...send us SOMETHING!

Paula Molloy

Thu Oct 15 2009 10:09

Why did it take so long before an NU alert was sent? As a parent, it is very unsettling that the alert system for information regarding fire arms and possible explosives on campus was so dangerously delayed.

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