by Cade Slaughter / April 25, 2022
Approximately one week ago on Tuesday night, a shooting near Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant, Iowa left an 18-year-old with minor injuries. Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded from the shocking incident.
There is no doubt that safety has been one of the most-talked-about topics around Iowa Wesleyan University, as violence and assaults seemed to be one of the major concerns as of this past month.
On April 4, Mt. Pleasant Police responded to a report of an assault with a knife. The attacker, a man of relatively older age than the majority of other students on Iowa Wesleyan’s campus, was arrested.
Vice President for Enrollment Meg Richtman stated the university’s number one priority is to protect the health and safety of all their students, faculty, staff, and those in the community. “Thankfully, the incident that occurred adjacent to campus this past week resulted in only one individual receiving minor injuries. However, it underscores this trend across the nation where a disagreement between a few individuals escalates quickly into violence. We find this trend profoundly sad and troubling, and not reflective of our values at Iowa Wesleyan.”
Richtman continued discussing the university’s policies regarding the ban of weapons on campus. Unfortunately, criminals do not tend to follow the law. “We have a clear policy that prohibits any type of weapons on campus. If a student violates our policy, they are mandated to go through our student conduct process, which can result in a suspension or expulsion from the university.”
The student from the April 4 incident has received an interim suspension and was removed from campus indefinitely. The two men involved in the shooting on April 12 have been arrested and are currently in custody by Mt. Pleasant police.
