Shots Fired at Chapman Student

Security was tightened around Chapman University Wednesday after a female student was shot at Tuesday evening while walking from her residence hall to the campus cafeteria.

The student, whose name was not released, was standing at the corner of Sycamore and Center streets at 6:45 p.m. when two males who were stopped at the intersection fired at least three shots at her from inside a blue pickup truck, said college spokeswoman Ruth Wardwell. The woman was not injured.

“It is horrifying,” Wardwell said. “Unfortunately, in our society, anything can happen, anytime. It was an unprovoked, senseless, violent act that is absolutely uncommon for our campus. My belief is that our students generally feel safe.”

Wardwell said one other female student was nearby when the shooting occurred. She also was uninjured.

Flyers were distributed Wednesday throughout the campus of the Christian-affiliated liberal arts college to alert students and faculty of the incident, said Chapman College Safety Lt. Art Ortiz.

“We now have a higher level of patrol out in the street,” said Ortiz, who described the incident as “random” and uncharacteristic of the area surrounding the campus, situated at 333 N. Glassell Street.

Wardwell said the incident has left Chapman’s 2,650 students stunned.

“The best thing we can do as a university is drill into our students the fact that they need to be as careful as they can and yet we know that not everything can be prevented.”

No suspects have been arrested, police said.

Chapman University, in Orange since 1954, was the county’s first four-year accredited college.