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Nov 23, 2023

3 people pepper sprayed in Campustown, U of I Police investigating

by: Marley Capper, Bradley Zimmerman Posted: Jun 5, 2023 / 06:39 PM CDT

by: Marley Capper, Bradley Zimmerman

Posted: Jun 5, 2023 / 06:39 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 5, 2023 / 07:52 PM CDT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The University of Illinois Police Department is sounding the alarm after three people were pepper sprayed in Campustown last week.

The UIPD sent out a campus safety notice on Sunday to alert the community of three attacks within a five-day span. All three attacks, officials said, happened randomly between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m.

The first attack happened on Wednesday, when a 41-year-old man was attacked while sleeping outside on Sixth Street. Another attack happened Thursday to a 61-year-old man in Scott Park and a third happened Sunday to a 28-year-old man.

Grant Briggs, a UIPD detective, said this is beyond usual.

"It's not a common occurrence. I can't think of a time where there has been more than one isolated incident during any significant period of time," he said. "Obviously, we’ve had three incidents over the last five days, which leads us to believe there may be some sort of connection between the incidents.

None of the victims could provide a clear description information about the assailants, so there isn't much to go off of. The second victim, however, reported he had been approached by two men in Scott Park before being sprayed.

With details limited, the UIPD is asking the public for help. They are encouraging anyone with information to come forward to either them (by calling 217-333-1216) or Champaign County Crime Stoppers (by calling 217-373-8477, visiting their website or using the P3 Tips app).

Until the assailants are caught, U of I Police are advising people to be aware of their surroundings in Campustown and travel in groups.

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