Student recovered alive from Willington after 17 hours

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A tense standoff between police and an armed Temple student who officials said was “suicidal” ended early Monday morning, with the suspect being detained in safe condition, police at the scene said.

The scene from 17th & Berks streets around 8:30 p.m. | JOHN MORITZ TTN

The scene from 17th & Berks streets around 8:30 p.m. | JOHN MORITZ TTN

The student, a 26-year-old male, was talked out of his armed barricade in the basement of his North Willington Street row house around 2 a.m. after a nearly 17-hour standoff that began at 9:20 a.m. Sunday morning, Oct. 13.

Sgt. Frank McFillin of Philadelphia police said the student was taken to the Episcopal Campus of Temple University Hospital for evaluation. Episcopal is the behavioral sciences wing of TUH.

The incident began when officers responded to calls from concerned family members that their son was in need of help. Officers responded to the house, 1852 N. Willington St., and found the student inside with a gun, Philadelphia Police Department Homeland Security Chief Joe Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the student was alone in his apartment throughout the incident, and told police they had to leave.

Philadelphia police SWAT units were quickly brought in along with Temple Police and Philadelphia firefighters to clear the scene and cordon off the area around the 1800 block of North Willington Street.

Due to the armed standoff, police shut down access to the 1800 block of North Willington Street and the 1600 block of Berks Street. While police told students living on those blocks to remain in their homes on the second floor, several were allowed to leave to get food and return with a police escort. Throughout the warm afternoon, students on the block stood on their stoops and porches watching the incident unfold with SWAT units entering and leaving the house.

Sullivan and several other sources at the scene said the student is diagnosed with an undisclosed mental illness, and was behaving with suicidal tendencies. The student fired multiple shots throughout the day, several police sources confirmed, though no injuries to officers or the student were reported.

Despite several false reports by various news outlets claiming that the student had committed suicide, police at the scene said they were in constant communication with him throughout the day via cell phone.

“When they are talking to us we know they are in good health,” Sullivan said.

By 2:30 p.m., Sgt. McFillin said that while negotiations remained ongoing, officers had lost hope for a quick ending to the standoff.

Students locked down in their homes on the 1800 block of North Willington Street said they heard police officers negotiating with the student through megaphones. Police brought the student cigarettes and water late in the evening, students and officers said.

Replacement crews of firefighters and SWAT officers began arriving around 4 p.m. to relieve colleagues who had been working since the morning. The replacements themselves began to dwindle around midnight, when police said it seemed likely that the standoff would last through the night.

Two hours later, police successfully negotiated an end to the standoff with no harm to the student or officers, McFillin said.

McFillin said that the student was briefly able to speak with his parents, who had waited inside the police barricade for hours, before being taken away to TUH.

A few minutes later, the streets were cleared for students and residents to return, and all signs of the day’s commotion were gone. Several inquisitive students peered out of doors and windows to watch the last of the cop cars drive away.

The university sent out two email alerts to students throughout the day, the first at 10:01 a.m. and the latter at 7 p.m. Students displaced from their homes had to scramble to find alternatives, and many reported through social media that they were forced to stay at friend’s houses.

Crime Logs 10/7-10/8

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Main Campus

A DUI occurred on Oct. 5 at 3:15 a.m. on the 1400 block of West Norris Street. An arrest was made in regards to this article.

An incident of harassment occurred on Oct. 7 at 10:30 a.m. on the Student Center. The incident was exceptionally cleared.

A sexual assault occurred on Oct. 6 between 12 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. on the 1400 block of West Diamond Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

A sexual assault occurred on Oct. 7 between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the 1000 block of West Diamond Street. An arrest has been made in regards to this incident.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 8 at 4:40 a.m. in 1940 Residential Hall. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of criminal mischief occurred on Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of North 15th Street. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

A theft occurred on Oct. 8 between 5:32 p.m. and 5:42 p.m. in the Bell Building. No arrests have been made at this time.

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A theft occurred on Sept. 30 between 8:45 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. in the Boyer Pavilion. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft occurred between Oct. 4 at 4:30 p.m. and Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. in the Parkinson Pavilion. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft occurred on Oct. 8 between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the Rock Pavilion. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of public drunkenness occurred on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. on the 3000 block of North Broad Street. The incident was exceptionally cleared.

Student Government meeting of Oct. 7

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The new Speaker of the General Assembly, DeVaun Brown, opened up the Temple Student Government General Assembly meeting in room 200c of the student center Monday to an audience of roughly 200 people.

Joe Oleksak was announced as the new Auditor General, the other previously open TSG office.  

Darin Bartholomew, Temple’s student body president, was first to speak with the president’s report. He introduced Brown and Oleksak and explained that TSG is pursuing a solution to the long lines at the food court in Morgan Hall.

The first guest speaker, Sakinah Muhammad from Teach for America, spoke next. She explained how the program sets up college graduates as teachers to help with low-income students’ educations, and how students can apply.

Homecoming was the next topic with the candidates for king and queen describing themselves and why they should be elected.

Isaiah Gaymon, Kristian Pel, Kwashee Totimeh and Dan Busko spoke about their candidacies for Homecoming king. For queen, Tiffany Dean, Megan Fry, Joie’ Johnson-Walker, and Tasia Morgan stated their cases as well.

Voting for these titles is still open on Owl Connect via the Student Activities webpage. The Homecoming Pageant will be Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in room 200 of the student center.

A few of the TSG directors then spoke individually on various events occurring soon. The Zombie Run will be on Oct. 13 and registration for the event is still available.

Evan Feinstein, director of University Pride and Traditions, announced that Cherry and White Championships will be held on Oct. 18 during Cherry and White Night.

For the open forum, Bartholomew asked the audience, which consisted mostly of students, what event they would like to see in the spring to replace the cancelled Spring Fling. The conversation mostly focused on a childhood throwback themed showcase of some student organizations.

The organization announcements were last before the meeting came to an end.

The next TSG General Assembly meeting will be held Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. in room 200c of the student center.

Crime logs 10/5-10/6

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Main Campus

An incident of public drunkenness occurred on Oct. 5 at 12 a.m. on 1926 Liacouras Walk. An arrest has been made in regards to this incident.

An incident of public drunkenness occurred on Oct. 5 at 1 a.m. in The Edge Apartments. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 5 at 1:30 a.m. in White Hall. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

Another  incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 5 at 1:30 a.m. in White Hall. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of simple assault occurred on Oct. 5 at 1:48 a.m. on the 1800 block of North 16th Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 5 at 3:04 a.m. on the 1600 block of North Broad Street. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of harassment occurred on Oct. 5 at 3 a.m. on the 1100 block of West Cecil B. Moore Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of aggravated assault occurred on Oct. 5 at 5:12 p.m. on the 1700 block of North 11th Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

A robbery occurred on Oct. 5 at 6:45 p.m. on the 2000 block of North Broad Street. An arrests has been made in regard to this incident.

A robbery occurred on Oct. 5 at 6:45 p.m. on the 1300 block of West Norris Street. An arrests has been made in regard to this incident.

An incident of harassment occurred on Oct. 6 at 12:16 a.m. in Peabody Hall. That incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 6 at 1:15 a.m. on the 1900 block of North Broad Street. The incident was exceptionally cleared.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 6 at 1:21 a.m. on the Edge Apartments. The incident was handled by the School Code of Conduct.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 6 at 2:15 a.m. in Morgan Hall South. The incident was exceptionally cleared.

A theft occurred on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. on the 1400 block of West Cecil B. Moore Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft occurred on Oct. 6 between 12 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in 1300 Residential Hall. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of criminal mischief occurred on Oct. 6 between 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the 1900 block of North 16th Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft from auto occurred between Sept. 29 at 12 p.m. and Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. on the 1500 block of North Carlisle Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

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A theft occurred on Oct. 5 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Rock Pavilion. No arrests have been made at this time.

A robbery occurred on Oct. 6 at 1:45 p.m. on the 3200 of North Broad Street. An arrest has been made in regard to this incident.

Ambler

A theft occurred between Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. and Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Ambler Herb Garden. No arrests have been made at this time.

Drag show draws crowd

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Tonight, Oct. 7, National Coming Out Week was kicked off by the university’s second annual drag show. A crowd of students, faculty and staff gathered at the steps of the Temple Performing Arts Center before the performance.

The show took months of thorough preparation, organizers said, by a team consisting of members of the Queer Student Union, Residential Life and the Wellness Resource Center. The show was marketed mainly through Twitter, which is how one freshman said she discovered it.

“I saw it on Twitter and though there’s not a lot of schools that would have a drag show,” freshman Juanita Cortes said. “It’s a unique thing I might not get to experience otherwise.”

The show featured a number of performers, including some Temple students. Perhaps the most popular act of the night was Latina Montgomery, a professional drag queen and artist who has performed all over the country.

Latina danced to a soulful song in a blue shimmering floor-length dress. She maneuvered through the audience, generating enthusiastic response.

Each performer offered a different act. Some consisted of drag queens dancing to pop songs, while some featured drag kings chair-dancing or acting out popular skits.

The show was well-received by the attendees who came out for the first event of NCOW. Organizers said they are excited about the success of the show’s atmosphere, intended to be fun and relaxed.

“We’ve already started planning for next year,” organizer and President of Queer Student Union Michael Kovich said. “We want students to enjoy the show and feel comfortable. We’re letting the university know we’re here and together.”

Crime Logs 10/3 to 10/4

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Main Campus

An incident of criminal mischief occurred on Oct. 3 at 4:09 p.m. on the 1200 block of West Berks Street. The School Code of Conduct handled the incident.

A violation of city ordinance occurred on Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. on the 1500 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue. An arrest has been made in regards to this incident.

An incident of criminal mischief occurred on Oct. 3 between 11:30 a.m. and 11:10 p.m. on the 1100 block of West Cecil B. Moore Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of underage consumption occurred on Oct. 4 at 12:15 a.m. on the 2000 block of North 15th Street. The School Code of Conduct handled the incident.

A theft occurred on Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m. on the 1300 block of West Susquehanna Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of harassment occurred on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in Hardwick Hall. No arrests have been made at this time.

A bike theft occurred on Oct. 4 between 8:55 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the 1900 block of North Broad Street. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft from auto occurred between Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m. on the 900 block of West Cecil B. Moore Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft occurred on Oct. 4 between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in 1200 Polett Walk. No arrests have been made at this time.

A theft from auto occurred between Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 30 at 5:45 p.m. on the 1900 block of North 13th Street. No arrests have been made at this tie.

A theft occurred on Oct. 4 between 6:20 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in Geasy Field. No arrests have been made at this time.

An incident of public drunkeness occurred on Oct. 4 at 8:15 p.m. on the 1600 block of North Broad Street. The case was declared exceptionally cleared.

An incident of disorderly conduct occurred on Oct. 4 at 11:30 p.m. on the 1400 block of West Cecil B. Moore Avenue. An arrest has been made in regards to this incident.

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A theft occurred on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. on the 1300 block of West Alleghany Avenue. No arrests have been made at this time.

Shooting after youth football game on Cecil B. Moore

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A shooting after a Pee-Wee football game at Columbia Playground has left one non-student in critical condition at Temple University Hospital Saturday evening.

Around 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5., an altercation arose at the playground on 11th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Acting Executive DIrector of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said. A 19-year-old man was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the buttocks, and was transported to TUH.

Leone said a male and female suspect were observed running into a vehicle last seen driving north on 11th Street.

Leone said police did not have a description on either suspect or the vehicle.

Temple police issued an advisory at 6:12 p.m. warning students to avoid the area.

Under 21

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The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program has declared October as Mural Arts Month. Throughout the month, there will be plenty of opportunities to participate in the program. A free trolley tour of Philadelphia’s murals will be available on October 19th from 15th street and Locust street. Reservations are required since space is limited and can be made by calling 215-925-3633 or by emailing tours@muralarts.org. If that event becomes full, self guided audio tours of “The Mural Mile” leave daily from The Gallery on 9th and Market streets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience the murals at a self-set pace while learning tidbits and interesting facts about the prominent Philly artwork and the artists. Price is $20.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is already in the Halloween season, bringing ghost stories to the stage October 17th through 19th. All performances begin at 7pm. “Not Ready for the Afterlife Players,” a theater group, will take the stage at the cemetery to act out the stories of those buried there. Bring blankets or chairs to set up in between the graves. Admission is $20.

Concerts Oct. 8 – Oct 13

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Tuesday 10/8 Earl Sweatshirt
TLA
Show at 8:00
$20
All Ages

The youngest and perhaps most hyped member of the Odd Future contingency, Earl Sweatshirt is affirmatively back on the map with his first headlining tour. After disappearing into the ether just as Odd Future began to gain steam, the 19-year-old Earl has returned with a decidedly more mature and focused LP entitled “Doris.” The borderline misogyny of his previous LP has been replaced with a welcome portion of introspection (specifically on track “Chum”), while his razor sharp wordsmithery remained.

Saturday 10/12 Title Fight, Balance and Composure, Cruel Hand
Union Transfer
Doors at 6:00, Show at 6:30
$15
All Ages

Following in the footsteps of Texas Is The Reason, Title Fight is the latest alternative rock group to put forth a release under the banner of legendary hardcore label Revelation Records. Entitled “Spring Songs,” the mopey subdued vocals and fuzzy washed out guitars on “Be a Toy,” the first track off the record to stream online, seem to indicate that the 7” will be consistent with the bands transformation from a melodic hardcore act to shoegaze aficionados. To promote the effort, they’re going on tour and taking an eclectic slew of artists with them, including Balance and Composure (fresh off the release of their new LP “The Things We Think We’re Missing”) and Cruel Hand.

Sunday 10/13 The Spits
Kung Fu Necktie
Show at 8:00
$12 in advanced, $14 at the door
21+

Break out the leather jackets and get ready to pogo like it’s 1977. The 21st century’s answer to the Ramones, The Spits are bringing back single speed power chord driven punk rock, and they’re doing it damn well. The Kalamazoo based garage punk quartet are hitting the road to promote their latest release “Kill The Kool.”

Pulitzer Prize Photographs on display

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Influential photography is on display from Oct. 11 until Dec. 31 at the National Constitution Center. The images are brought together in chronological order and within an exhibit named “Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs”. This will show each Pulitzer Prize winning photograph since 1942, which is makes up more than 150 photographs. The exhibit, which is making its way worldwide, was originally created by the Newseum in Washington D.C.