Police are investigating an armed robbery of two female students that occurred at around 9:55 last night.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the two female students were walking south on North 18th Street, when two suspects approached them. One of the suspects displayed a black handgun, and demanded the students to hand them their belongings.

The students gave the suspects two cell phones and a Coach wristlet handbag, which contained ID cards and cash. Both suspects then fled south on 18th Street.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 10:10 p.m. No injuries were reported.

One of the suspects was last seen wearing a black Jansport backpack. Anyone with information about last night’s incident is encouraged to call Campus Safety Services at 215-204-1234.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

UPDATE: Charlie Leone said that police have arrested Shahee Sanders, 19, for Tuesday’s incident. According to court records, he has been charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and has a status hearing scheduled for June 19.

Temple Police are investigating an alleged assault that occurred at 12th Street and Polett Walk earlier this evening.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said that the male suspect may have assaulted a female in a domestic-related incident. When Temple Police arrived, the male was yelling at her, he added.

When police tried to intervene, the suspect fled the scene. He was then stopped at 12th Street and Montgomery Avenue, where he was quickly arrested, Leone said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Police are investigating an armed robbery of a student that occurred near Cecil B. Moore Avenue and 16th Street last night.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email that at about 10:35 p.m., a student left his residence and started walking northbound on Willington Street.

The student was then approached by an unknown male near Master Street, who asked him for directions to the subway. After the student gave him directions, the male continued following the student, asking if he wanted to buy scented oils, Leone added.

Leone said the male then looked through his backpack, appearing to look for the scented oils. On the 1600 block of Willington Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue, he pulled a handgun on the student, demanding his phone.

The student then gave the suspect his black iPhone 4S, along with $10. The male then fled south on Willington Street, toward Oxford Street, Leone said.

Leone added that the student reported the robbery at AlliedBarton Security Headquarters at 16th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. A TU Alert was then sent out about the incident. No injuries were reported.

The suspect was described as a 15- to 18-year-old male, last seen wearing a dark gray hoodie and dark jeans, Leone said. He is 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs 170-180 pounds.

He was also last seen carrying a black backpack and revolver-like handgun, Leone said. Both Philadelphia and Temple Police surveyed the area following the robbery, but were unable to find the suspect. Leone added that police are checking all residential and business cameras in the area, and are increasing patrols in the southwestern region of the patrol border.

Anyone with information about last night’s robbery is encouraged to contact Campus Safety Services at 215-204-1234.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

UPDATE: The number of patients that remain at Temple University Hospital has increased to 12. The additional patient entered the hospital Thursday night after transferring from another hospital, a university spokesman said. As of Friday morning, five patients remain in critical condition.

Seven people have been confirmed dead, with that number expected to rise as a result of an Amtrak train that derailed as it approached a curve at Frankford Junction last night, the Inquirer reported.

Amtrak Train 188 was traveling at 100 mph when it jumped the tracks, causing all seven cars to overturn and tumble, the National Transportation Safety Board said. More than 200 people were injured, and the search for more bodies is still continuing, Mayor Nutter said in a press conference at the crash site on Wednesday.

Temple’s chief medical officer Herbert Cushing told the Inquirer that Temple University Hospital received a total of 54 patients because of the crash, 25 of whom remain in the hospital as of late Wednesday afternoon. One of those patients was pronounced dead last night as a result of “massive chest injuries,” Cushing added. Several more remain in critical condition.

The crash has shut down Amtrak service between Philadelphia and New York, the latter of which was where the train was scheduled to arrive late last night. Service on SEPTA’s Trenton Regional Rail line has also been suspended.

A Temple spokesman said that a university faculty member was one of the 238 passengers on the train, and was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he remains as of Wednesday afternoon.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Temple Police issued an email earlier tonight notifying students about two recent incidents involving car-for-hire services.

Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, confirmed that the email was legitimate. He added that Temple Police uses the same software for mass emails as the TU Alert system.

According to the email, one arrest has been made where a driver was charged with harassing a Temple student. A university spokesman said that case involved the driver and someone outside the vehicle, and added that the second case involving another student is still under investigation.

The spokesman said an email was sent out in order to notify students of the incidents. Because both cases didn’t cause an immediate threat to the student body, no TU Alerts were sent out, he added.

Both incidents happened within the past 48 hours, and the university is investigating several different car-for-hire service companies who may have been involved, the spokesman said.

“Part of the issue is that there are some [services] in the city that are licensed and recognized, and some that aren’t,” he said.

The email concluded by offering recommendations to students while walking around the city, including “traveling with trusted friends” and “trusting your instincts.”

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Temple Police are investigating a hit-and-run involving a 22-year-old female student that occurred at Diamond Street and Park Avenue earlier tonight.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email that the student was traveling southbound on her bicycle around 7:10 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle. After the crash, the vehicle fled west on Diamond Street and then north on Broad Street, he added.

Leone said the vehicle was described as a silver-colored Mitsubishi Galant, and that three black males were seen inside. He added that there was possible windshield damage on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The student was taken to Temple University Hospital, Leone said. The Philadelphia Police Department’s Chief Inspector Scott Small told the Daily News the student was in “very critical condition,” having suffered multiple head injuries and a fractured leg. Small added that surveillance cameras from university buildings near the scene captured the whole incident.

Anybody with information about tonight’s hit-and-run is encouraged to contact Campus Safety Services at 215-204-1234.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED IN MORGAN HALL

A sexual assault said to have taken place in Morgan Hall in October 2014 was reported to Temple Police Thursday, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said.

The victim, a female student, knew the attacker – a male student – “very well,” Leone said. Alcohol was believed to be involved in the incident.

The victim was taken to the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and can decide if she wants to pursue prosecution, Leone said. Temple has interviewed the suspect in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

“We’ve had a few [sexual assaults] reported this year, but it’s unfortunate, it’s one of the few we’ve had where the victim knew the attacker,” Leone said.

-Joe Brandt

BURGLARY REPORTED ON CAMAC STREET

A property on the 2200 block of North Camac Street was burglarized last Wednesday, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman told The Temple News.

The spokeswoman said the residence was broken into through a gated bedroom window, and items were taken from each of the five tenants. The items included a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, along with other valuables valued at a total of $6,500, she added.

As of Monday, Philadelphia police are still investigating the incident.

-Steve Bohnel

FORMER EDITOR IS PULITZER FINALIST 

Ali Watkins, a former reporter for The Temple News who served as assistant news editor for part of the Fall 2013 semester, was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the national reporting category. The results were announced Monday.

Watkins, along with Marisa Taylor and Jonathan Landay of McClatchy Newspapers, received accolades for their coverage of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on CIA torture. The Washington-based Watkins now works for the Huffington Post.

In a brief phone interview on Monday night, Watkins said she was grateful to all the people she met along the way who helped her reach her potential, many of whom were active about the honor on social media.

“When big stuff like this happens, you realize all these people, even five to 10 years down the road, are still following along,” Watkins said. “That’s just really humbling.”

According to a press release from the School of Media and Communication, eight alumni have won Pulitzer Prizes. Three of them worked on “Assault on Learning,” a 2013 Inquirer story on violence in the Philadelphia School District.

-Joe Brandt

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS SHOW OFF THEIR RESEARCH AT TURF-CREWS

On April 16, several undergraduate students presented research dedicated to a wide range of topics at the university’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum and Creative Works Symposium, according to a university press release.

TURF-CreWS, now in its 22nd year, featured subjects ranging from fighting in ice hockey, the success of Korean pop bands and iris recognition in Android phones.

Emily Moerer, assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies, said the annual event allows undergraduates to show off their hard work on a variety of subjects.

“Part of the act of creating knowledge is also communicating it,” Moerer said in the release. “So we want to give our students the opportunity to showcase and communicate the wonderful work that they’ve accomplished under the mentorship of Temple faculty.”

Students were nominated by their faculty mentors to participate in TURF-CreWS, and that the presentations are a result of research done in the classroom, as well as work done through a university-wide undergraduate research program, like the Temple Merit Scholarship and Educational Enhancement Stipends.

-Steve Bohnel

CHRONICLE ANALYZES CANDIDATES’ STANCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Last week, the Chronicle of Higher Education released a report focusing on four declared 2016 presidential candidates’ stances on issues pertaining to higher education.

Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul were profiled, as the Chronicle analyzed their positions on college affordability, immigration and science – three topics important to colleges. All four candidates declared their intention to run for the Oval Office during the past couple of weeks, according to multiple news outlets.

Concerning the issue of college affordability, Clinton has endorsed President Obama’s plan for free community college, and criticized “for-profit” colleges that put students and families in debt. Rubio has also sided with Obama, calling for an updated federal student-aid system, and added that student debt is a major obstacle for current students in higher education.

Cruz has also stated that student loans are a problem, but has not yet laid out a framework on how to lower higher education costs or how to manage student debt. Paul has focused more on K-12 education than higher education, but has opposed Obama’s free community college plan, while proposing that college tuition be made fully tax-deductible.

-Steve Bohnel

St. Joseph’s Prep football player Ryan Gillyard collapsed and died during a workout earlier this morning, the Inquirer reported.

Gillyard, a 15-year-old freshman from Upper Darby, was warming up with his teammates at the team’s practice field on Cecil B. Moore at 11th Street, the Inquirer reported. Shortly after warmups concluded, he collapsed, said school spokesman Bill Avington.

No information has been released yet about what caused Gillyard’s sudden collapse. He was rushed to Temple University Hospital with several of his coaches, where he then died, the Inquirer reported.

Avington said the school will be holding a mass tomorrow in his remembrance, and that counselors will be available through the weekend and on Monday when students return for classes.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Temple is investigating a recent incident that involved a Delta Zeta sorority officer using a racial slur during a Greek Week event on Main Campus last Saturday.

According to a university statement, “Temple has addressed the issue with the Greek organization, which has taken strong action against the individual … The university is also using this incident as an opportunity to discuss our expectations for student behavior with the members of the Greek community.”

Temple Student Government also released a statement on the incident, detailing its own investigation.

“After meeting with the appropriate individuals in Student Affairs and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Leadership, Temple Student Government is supporting administrative staff in properly executing the steps needed to resolve this situation,” the statement read. “As the incoming Temple Student Government leadership, we do not condone this incident nor any use of racial slurs or intolerance. We now call on our fellow Temple students to embrace the diversity that this university offers, abide by the Student Code of Conduct, and live by the TUnity statement.”

Temple has 14 sororities out of its 30 recognized Greek organizations on or near Main Campus, five of which are part of Temple’s Panhellenic Association.

Check back for updates, and a more detailed story in next week’s print edition.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steven.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.