DU: Fake emergency call used as ‘distraction’ for vandalism

Lanie Lee Cook
·1 min read
3

DENVER (KDVR) — A weekend act of vandalism — and a fake emergency call around the same time — are under investigation at the University of Denver, where a protest encampment continues against the war in Gaza.

Campus Safety Chief Michael Bunker said on Monday that an academic building was vandalized Sunday night.

“It appears a false emergency call was used as a distraction,” Bunker said in an email to the school community.

According to Bunker, someone used a blue light phone, meant for reporting emergencies on the DU campus, “falsely indicating that someone had been shot.” Both DU Campus Safety and the Denver Police Department responded.

A brick building's doors and some of its stone facade covered in red paint. What appears to be spray-painted writing on the brick walkway makes a disparaging remark against weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
A brick building's doors and some of its stone facade covered in red paint. What appears to be spray-painted writing on the brick walkway makes a disparaging remark against weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The email included a photo showing the brick building’s doors and some of its stone facade covered in red paint. What appears to be spray-painted writing on the brick walkway makes a disparaging remark against weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The vandalism was cleaned up by Monday morning, a campus spokesperson told FOX31.

“These actions run counter to DU’s core values, and we have no tolerance for such behavior. We are actively pursuing leads to identify those responsible,” Bunker said in an email to the school community.

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DU is the site of a protest in defense of the Palestinian people in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, since its Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

Bunker urged anyone with information about the incident to call DU’s Campus Safety non-emergency line at 303-871-2334 or submit a report online, where anonymous reporting is allowed.

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