U of M regents meet to discuss campus safety following double murder in Dinkytown
MINNEAPOLIS — Friday morning, the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents discussed safety on and around campus.
This comes after a double murder happened early Sunday morning at Royal Cigar and Tobacco Shop in Dinkytown.
"I have heard some really bad stories, some horror stories from my friends and co-workers and my peers," said Jordan Martinez, University of Minnesota student.
Martinez said he's concerned about crime, but doesn't feel unsafe on campus. Still, he's careful about where he goes and when.
"I think what's really important is just being safe and cautious of what's going on around you and staying active and looking around all the time," said Martinez.
The Board of Regents said what happened at Royal Cigar and Tobacco Shop on Sunday is tragic. But they believe they have made progress when it comes to battling crime.
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That includes more collaboration with law enforcement, and parent and community groups to keep the area safe.
"Last weekend's violence in Dinkytown really underscores that this work is far from finished," said Jeff Ettinger, Interim President.
On Friday, the Board of Regents acknowledged what's been done and what still needs to be done to ensure public safety. Over the past, few months, they've hired more police officers on campus.
"We cannot address the public safety challenge without a real commitment, wihtou real action, not only from the University but from the city of Minneapolis and all our partners in this area," said Myron Franz, Senior Vice President.
It's what student Marie King wants to hear.
"Mostly, me and my friends keep each other's locations, and we have the citizen app," said King.
They also carry pepper spray and walk in groups at night. She said she'd like to see the U of M publicize programs like Gopher Chauffeur which provides free rides home to students seven nights a week. King thinks the program keeps students from crossing paths with a potential crime or shooting, like what happened on Sunday.
"It's scary with all of these kids going to the bars and coming back. That was at 2 a.m. I'm sure there were a ton of kids coming back at that time," said King.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner says two 24-year-old Minneapolis men were killed in Sunday's shooting at that Dinkytown cigar shop.
They have been identified as Bryson Haskell and Jamartre Sanders. Minneapolis police are investigating.
