Five robbed at gunpoint on 40th St.

Two suspects, one of whom is thought to have used a semiautomatic weapon, are at large after yesterday's robbery. The students, all seniors, were returning from a party at about 3:15 a.m. They were walking on the 100 block of South 40th Street, the area between Chestnut and Walnut streets, when they were approached by one of the two assailants. The man then drew his weapon and ordered the students to put their heads down and hand over their money, according to University Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King. The suspect was described by the students as a black male in his early 20s, 5'8" to 5'11" with a medium complexion, medium build, sideburns and a goatee. Soon after the students were first approached, a second suspect arrived on a bicycle. He was described as a black male, 5'7" to 5'8" with a dark complexion, medium to large build and wearing a navy blue Wharton T-shirt. The suspects made off with about $100 in cash collected from three of the victims. No arrests have been made in the incident. After giving up their money, the students turned around and walked away. They reported the incident to a security guard, who alerted University Police of the incident. The students were then taken to the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives Bureau at 55th and Pine streets for questioning. A source familiar with the situation said police believed the weapon used in the hold-up was a TEC-9 semi-automatic pistol. University Police officials would not confirm the type of gun used in the robbery. Manufactured by Intratec, the TEC-9 is a 9mm weapon with a 36-round magazine. Because it weighs just slightly over three pounds, the pistol is easy to carry and conceal and provides the ability to spray bullets. It is also relatively inexpensive. Despite this latest incident, robberies on and around campus have generally been trending down over the past few years, including a 36 percent drop this summer compared to last summer, as the University Police have committed more resources to fighting crime and improving security.