by Brooklyn Dance
Two men suspected of the attempted kidnapping of a Trevecca student this morning have been located by the Metro Police Department.
According to an email alert to all students, “two young African American men in [an] older gold four-door car attempted to convince a female student to get in car in Tidwell lot.”
“The two suspects tried to coerce [the student] to get in the vehicle verbally, at no point was there physical contact,” Greg Dawson, director of security said. “[They kept] trying to convince her to get in the vehicle, she ignored them. They continued and she ran to her own car and got in.”
Dawson said the student was alert of what was going on around her, which helped her get out of the situation.
“It’s honestly about being aware of your surroundings. I highly advise people if you’re going to be in a parking lot, a mall, anywhere, it’s a good idea to know what’s going on around you. Don’t have your nose buried in your phone. Be aware of what’s going on,” Dawson said. “That’s what the student did. She knew what was going on around her, and she was able to act. That’s what got her out of that situation.”
The student’s name has yet to be released, with discretion left up to her.
According to Dawson, this is the first attempted kidnap in a long time at Trevecca.
“I have been at Trevecca for 14 years, and the last incident of this type happened before I got there,” said Dawson.
In an email to all students, Matt Toy, associate vice president of marketing and communications, said that “the student is safe, and Trevecca will continue to keep the campus safety of utmost importance.”
“Trevecca will review security cameras and keep the campus community aware of any further details,” Toy said.
