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A Message from Vice President Penny Rue

by Mark Anderson

Dear Parents,

As you may know, this weekend a Wake Forest student was shot in an attempted robbery off-campus. The good news is that the student, while still hospitalized, is in stable condition and improving. Our campus community of students, faculty and staff has been kept informed through a series of email updates, including one from President Hatch, which have also been posted to the parents’ page of the Wake Forest website.

Incidents like this are unsettling for everyone. I am writing you today to assure each of you that Wake Forest has no greater priority than the safety of our students. Our leadership team is working closely with law enforcement to prevent similar incidents in the future. Because the shooting took place off-campus, the Winston-Salem Police Department is taking the lead, with support from Wake Forest University Police, in investigating the incident and searching for the suspects. Patrols of the area, both by the WFUPD and the WSPD, have increased on campus and in the surrounding area. Updated descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle have been shared with the media and public at large, as well as our students, faculty and staff.

While this is an unusual incident for our community, the caring response from students, parents, alumni and others within our campus community is very much in the Pro Humanitate spirit. Many have provided much-needed support for our injured student, his family and his friends during a most difficult time.

Unfortunately, this weekend served as a reminder that even places we consider to be safe are not immune to violence. You may wish to talk openly and frankly with your students about ways they can increase their own awareness regarding their safety and the safety of others. Our Wake Ready website offers information that promotes safety and aids in the prevention of crime. If you feel it would be helpful, please encourage your students to seek support and counseling services from the Counseling Center (336-758-5273) or the Chaplain’s Office (336-758-5210).

Sincerely,

Penny Rue, Vice President for Campus Life

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

 

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support. You can also visit we.wfu.edu for resources.