On Friday, Aug. 31, the BellStores convenience store and gas station was robbed, causing security concerns for campus community
Mackenzie Clark
Editor in Chief
On Friday, Aug. 31, the BellStores convenience store and gas station on Beall Ave. north of campus was robbed around 10:15 p.m. The suspect, who was in possession of an air gun, was last seen leaving the store and going toward Beall Ave. In an email sent to students on Sept. 1 at 12:21 a.m., Director of Security and Protective Services (SPS) Steve Glick stated that the Wooster Police Department (WPD) had located and arrested a suspect in the robbery. Glick stated that College patrol officers were alerted to watch for the suspect and notify Wooster Police of any suspicious activity on campus.
Victoria McCaslin ’20 was among the several students approached by Wooster Police regarding the incident. “It was around 10:30 p.m. and my friend and I were hanging out on the swings outside of Gault Schoolhouse,” she said. “A police car slowed down and stopped near us on College Ave. An officer got out of the car, shining his light at us and asked if he could ask us a few questions.” McCaslin answered the officer’s questions, telling him that they had not seen anyone matching the suspect’s description.
The Daily Record reported on Tuesday, Sept. 4 that the suspect arrested was Kevin Gordon, an 18-year-old man who is listed as a homeless Wooster resident in court documents. Gordon was charged with one count of robbery, a second-degree felony, and is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing in Wayne County Municipal Court next Wednesday.
The Daily Record also cited an affidavit that stated when Gordon entered the store, he asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes before showing the clerk a silver revolver and telling the clerk to give him all of the $5, $10 and $20 bills in the register. Wooster Assistant Police Chief Scott Rotolo told The Daily Record that the weapon was an “extremely realistic looking CO2 revolver.”
The Daily Record quoted Rotolo, stating that officers were able to respond to the call almost immediately to locate the suspect, who was described as a six-foot tall white man wearing an orange hat and glasses. According to Rotolo, the suspect was cooperative and led officers to the stolen cigarettes and cash totaling just under $500.
Glick commented that students were notified about the incident via email, rather than the College’s alert system, because SPS was notified that the threat had been mitigated. “We were in the process of drafting an alert after being notified of the incident by WPD when we learned the suspect had been arrested,” said Glick.
“The safety and security of our community are of paramount importance,” said Glick. “When we are made aware of any potentially dangerous situation and the threat is immediate or ongoing, we notify the campus community so they can take the appropriate actions to remain safe, in accordance with the national Clery guidelines.”