DePaul University warns of sexual assaults on campus; students are left with questions

CHICAGO (CBS) – DePaul University on Thursday issued a safety warning after two sexual assaults on campus in three days.

The university believes the same person was behind both attacks.

As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported, more campus police officers were seen patrolling the DePaul Lincoln Park Campus Thursday night as DePaul investigates the sexual assaults.

Both happened in university buildings – including the popular Student Center.

“I feel safe around this neighborhood,” said DePaul freshman Kayla Cummings. “There’s a lot of people here.”

Yet Cummings was caught off guard when a text message went out to students on Thursday. It warned of two separate sexual assaults by the same man.

The assaults happened a day apart.

“It’s just something that happens, which it shouldn’t at all,” Cummings said. “But like, I’m appreciative that they notified people about it.”

The university said the attacker targeted his first victim inside the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., while an event was going on Monday evening. The incident involved non-consensual physical contact, the university said.

“I definitely feel very uncomfortable,” said DePaul student Hayla Brooks, “and I wish we were just given more information. Like they said, we don’t know what to look out for – like it could be anybody.”

On Wednesday in the Corcoran Hall dorm, 910 W. Belden Ave., a second victim was sexually assaulted by the same man, the university said.

“I thought it was very unsettling, especially because I have friends that live like in dorm buildings that it happened in,” said DePaul student Ella Hageman.

But you don’t have to be a student or live on campus to be worried after these attacks.

“DePaul is part of our neighborhood, and we’re part of DePaul’s neighborhood,” said Lincoln Park resident Eric Mariani. “So if some guy is doing something, yeah, we should know.”

Mariani and his wife live just blocks from then Lincoln Park campus. They did not get the campus alert, and they question why Chicago Police have not issued a community alert.

They believe the awareness needs to go beyond just students.

“Vice versa – if something’s happening in the neighborhood that’s not on DePaul’s campus, DePaul’s students should know too,” Mariani said.

Right now, everyone is urged to stay vigilant. But students admit the university’s safety alert left them with more questions.

“There’s no like description or anything,” said one student. “It’s just like there’s, someone – and you don’t know yet.”

DePaul did not provide specific times for when either assault occurred.

The Student Center is open to the public. It was not known late Thursday whether the man responsible was a student or not.