An individual was arrested and a UW Oshkosh employee terminated after suspicious activity was reported in Evans Hall on April 24.

According to an email sent by residence life, around midnight, police were alerted to suspicious individuals in the basement of Evans Hall. An investigation showed that two non-residents had been let into the building by an employee.

One person was arrested for resisting/obstructing, and the employee was terminated by UWO.

Skylee Manecke, an Evans resident, was one of the people who saw and reported the individuals.

“My roommate and I had gone to the basement to fill our waters with ice and heard really loud music,” she said. “We didn’t think much of it until we walked into five very old-looking individuals, two of which were yelling cuss words and fighting.”

She said that the individuals looked very intimidating and wouldn’t take their eyes off of her and her roommate.

“We filled our waters and when we turned back to make sure they weren’t right behind us, there was another individual joining the argument,” she said. “We told the front desk and he called the hall staff and the community service officers. They then called the police.”

Manecke said she found out that the janitor had been letting his older friends in through the side doors.

Resident life’s email stated that measures have been taken to minimize the likelihood of similar incidents occurring going forward.

Chief of Police Chris Tarmann emphasized the importance of quickly reporting incidents when they’re observed.

“It’s important to recognize that community members swiftly reported these unauthorized individuals in the residence hall, showcasing the power of proactive bystander intervention,” he said. “Taking action when you observe suspicious activity is a simple way to maintain security. Give us a call or use UWO Mobile to chat with us real-time. This real-time alert gives us the opportunity to properly investigate suspicious activity and ensure that our students have a sense of security in their on-campus residences.”

To call in security concerns to the UWO Police Department, call 920-424-1212.