Students harassed, threatened with shotgun

U. students questioned by police after allegedly threatening Jewish students Two Jewish students were threatened at shotgun-point by two other University students after the student gunmen taunted them with ethnic slurs early Friday morning, Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush said. And although police questioned the two suspects, so far, no charges have been brought against them. According to University Police records, the incident, which began near 39th and Pine streets, is being labeled an "ethnic intimidation" case by investigators. Rush said the incident -- in which one student allegedly pointed a loaded shotgun at another -- began with an "exchange of words" when two Jewish students on their way home walked past the residence of the other two students. Rush said that during the confrontation, the two Jewish students, whose names have not been released, were called "Jew-boys" by the other two students who were sitting on the front steps of their residence on Pine Street. After the verbal exchange became heated, Rush said one student went inside his house, returned with a shotgun and pointed it at the Jewish students. She added that the Jewish students fled for safety and called University Police with a description of the other two students, who left the area in a car. University Police brought two suspects into custody after locating them in a car in front of the Wawa Food Market at 38th and Spruce streets. Two shotguns along with a large quantity of ammunition were discovered in the students' vehicle, Rush said. The two suspects were taken to Philadelphia Police Southwest Detectives and questioned, but not charged. Philadelphia Police Captain Tom Quinn, commander of Southwest Detectives, will begin investigating the incident today, Rush said. In addition, Rush said there will be an internal University investigation. This is the second case involving allegations of ethnic intimidation in as many days. On Thursday morning, two University students claimed four Drexel University students and one other man yelled ethnic slurs at them. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said she is outraged over last week's incidents, calling on the community to begin changing attitudes. She said that even though there are a number of laws to protect people against discrimination, it is still up to individuals to create "high standard for civility." McCoullum urged the community to continue to protest against racially motivated crimes and also to help the victims of these incidents. "We need to reach out to each other to comfort people who've been victimized," she said. "The impact on individual students has been horrendous. People don't know how harmful these incidents are."

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