Three minors have been apprehended and charged following an armed robbery outside of the Southern Courtyard residence hall on the Statesboro campus Saturday night. Charges include armed robbery, theft, and possession of a firearm.

One suspect, age 17, has been publicly identified and will have his case heard in adult court pending an initial appearance. The two accomplices are identified only by their juvenile status.

Students on Armstrong Campus had mild reactions to the Statesboro incident ranging from indifferent to “a little scared”.

In a survey of 25 students on the Armstrong campus, 80% felt safe and protected on the Armstrong campus through several concerns raised about the lack of identification needed to access buildings and classrooms on the urban campus.

An update on the incident and personal safety tips were sent to the university email on Sunday.

Both campuses offer a Nighttime Escort program from 6 pm-2 am Sunday – Friday consisting of uniformed student employees with radios. Campus Safety Programs by request and RAD Women’s Self-Defense for all woman-identifying or nonbinary students are also offered.

Still, 50% of students did not know or were unsure what to do in the event of an armed emergency on campus.

In case of an armed robbery similar to Saturday night:
Stay calm, Cooperate and Call for help when you are out of harm’s way.

In case of an active shooter on campus:
Run: If it is safe to leave, get out of there, warn passers-by and call the police as soon as you are a safe distance away.
Hide: lock the doors, turn off the lights, get low and stay quiet.
Fight back: If you can’t escape, do your best to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter.

One Armstrong student suggested Southern implement a similar required training for armed situations as the alcohol and sexual assault prevention training for freshmen. This proposed safety training would be mandatory for all students regardless of classification.