Campus police are warning students to lock their doors after a stranger entered a campus dorm room May 6.
Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers sent out an email at 12:50 a.m. May 7, warning students about the incident.
“The Oklahoma City University Police Department and OCPD are investigating a report of an unidentified male entering a dorm room in Draper Hall this morning at approximately 7 a.m.,” the email reads.
The man was described as a thin, white male between 50-60 years old with white hair and a beard, the email reads. The man claimed to be “checking the water” in the room, according to the email.
Rodgers encouraged students to lock all the locks on their doors, including chain locks if their doors have them.
Zach Prall, acting sophomore, said he moved out of Draper Hall two days prior to the incident, but said he isn’t shocked by it.
“It’s honestly not surprising,” Prall said. “Things like that happened all the time. Draper is always unlocked because the door doesn’t close, and we are so far off campus that sketchy people have an easy access to it. Plus, our doors to our rooms are on the outside like a motel, so it’s easy access.”
Draper Hall is on the west side of campus between a parking lot and Cokesbury Court Apartments.
Prall said the main door to Draper doesn’t close because it’s broken.
“It doesn’t close unless you sit there and force it shut, but it takes a lot of effort,” he said. “I put in a request to get it fixed, but I think it just kept breaking.”
Prall said there is also a fire ladder on the side of the building that is easily accessible.
“I realized about a month in that I needed to keep my door locked because I kept seeing some scary people walking around,” he said. “I did not feel safe living in Draper. I never spent time there other than to sleep.”
Chief Rodgers was unavailable May 7 for comment. OCU police officials said May 7 that no one else could comment on the incident.
Students are encouraged to call OCUPD at (405) 208-5911 or x5911 if they see anything suspicious on campus or if they have more information about this incident.
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