CT - Student in costume prompts university lockdown, Nov 2013

[looneymama]

Oh geez...I don't understand why he was charged either.

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[FrayedKnot]

If its a costume, what was this guy thinking? You can't start running through a campus with guns, fake or not. But now they're saying they didn't find a weapon? Thoroughly confused over here.

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This is my thinking, too. ^

Kinda like people who think it's funny to joke about boxcutters at the airport and don't get why they get detained.

It SHOULD be okay. It SHOULD be funny. But we aren't in Kansas anymore. We are in "Nutjob With Guns Land".

I still say the guy must have been acting sketchy in addition to the costume. These are college kids, not some skittish old ladies like yours truly.

I can't imagine anyone looking twice at some guy in a costume. Unless he was also acting out the part for giggles.

 

[FrayedKnot]

Also, college or no, I think wearing your Halloween costume for 3-4 days is kinda weird.

My Lil Knot would have done it at age 6 or 7 maybe. But not even now at the ripe old age of 11 would she do that.

Of course I haven't been a college student living on campus since Santa Claus was a boy.

 

[21merc7]

This article has some photos from the video footage. I can see why someone called this in. It seems there is an ongoing issue though, more charges, asked not to come back on campus, huh???!!!

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-ccsu-lockdown-1105-20131104,0,3821716.story

 

[Hope32]

He was charged with "disturbing the peace"
IMO i agree he shouldn't be charged, but he also caused a lot of trauma/time/effort of the police/SWAT, etc... Unfortunately life these days you just can't walk around a look odd...people are hypervigilant these days... it sucks but it they have to show people you can trust the people that protect you when you are not at home

 

[Masterj]

From what I understand from a friend, he had a previous incident on campus and wasn't supposed to return until he met with the University board. This was from something that happened prior to yesterday.

 

[cluciano63]

Little kids are kicked out school for toy weapons, so I don't mind LE going ape***** over this guy's get-up.

 

[LambChop]

If people were reacting to what he was wearing and carrying with him that may be the reason he hurried to his dorm. I guess any costume that involves a toy gun from now on should be off limits because it could get you killed. There are just too many shootings today in and around schools/colleges so people are naturally going to think the worst. If he goes to court I hope the judge reads him the riot act but I don't see any jail time because essentially he did nothing wrong. It's not as if he intentionally tried to make people think he was a terrorist. jmo

 

[21merc7]

From what I understand from a friend, he had a previous incident on campus and wasn't supposed to return until he met with the University board. This was from something that happened prior to yesterday.

Thank you! Here is an article that says just that:

http://articles.courant.com/2013-11...-20131104_1_halloween-costume-ccsu-police-gun

 

[21merc7]

If people were reacting to what he was wearing and carrying with him that may be the reason he hurried to his dorm. I guess any costume that involves a toy gun from now on should be off limits because it could get you killed. There are just too many shootings today in and around schools/colleges so people are naturally going to think the worst. If he goes to court I hope the judge reads him the riot act but I don't see any jail time because essentially he did nothing wrong. It's not as if he intentionally tried to make people think he was a terrorist. jmo

I agree. The costume was/is not illegal, and cannot be used as such. That is where my questioning was going, how legal is it to charge him. Not how it was not a bright choice, lol. Hope he gets a good attorney on that one.

However, now there is the trespassing charge. That makes sense if he was officially told to stay off campus. Also makes sense why he would keep the ski mask on.

As the bits trickle out, it all makes more sense.

 

[i.b.nora]

From The Hartford Courant article:

"NEW BRITAIN — A student who caused alarm by walking through Central Connecticut State University Monday while wearing a Halloween costume was arrested again on Tuesday, a school spokesman said.

David Kyem was charged with first-degree criminal trespassing after he was seen on campus at about 1:14 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press release from CCSU police. He had been warned not to return to campus until he had met with staff in the university's Office of Student Conduct, the release states."

The "do not return to campus order" was from Monday's Halloween costume incident. If it was from something prior as some suggested above, then they would have also 'gotten' him for that on Monday.

Now my question is, where is the Office of Student Conduct located? Wouldn't it be located on campus? If it is on campus, how is he supposed to get to it without actually going on campus?

My 'feeling' about this whole incident is that everyone over reacted starting with the ex-policeman (who reminds me of George Zimmerman) who was told by the police dispatcher that it is strongly suggested that he NOT follow the Ninja guy. Then, in come the tanks and flame-throwers and troops, er, I mean the police (thankfully they have those patches that say POLICE on their camouflaged outfits). And, on and on it goes.

Now, I did not see the guy in person myself so it is hard if not impossible to judge if he looked 'real' or not. I have seen a few photos from the spy cams of him standing at the door to the dorm, but they have all been too dark and too far away for me to see details. So, I just don't know if he looked like a potential school shooter/lone gunman, or not. But, I seem to remember he got a ride to New Britain and then took a public bus to the campus while wearing the outfit. Why is it that no one on the bus reported him?

 

[i.b.nora]

According to the 2009-2011 and 2011-2012 undergraduate catalogs the Office of Student Conduct was located in Room 110 of Barrows Hall. It seems the Office of Student Conduct has since moved and is currently located in Willard Hall, Room 107. Regardless, both locations appear to be ON CAMPUS.

How can he meet with the people at the Office of Student Conduct located on campus without him actually walking on campus to the office?

It's perplexing to me.

 

[Ballerina]

Hmmmm.... I'm torn. On one hand, I'd almost rather LE go "pedal to the metal" on anything potentially involving guns on campus. I wouldn't want to assume someone is in a costume and end up with a tragedy.

On the other hand, as a college student, spending multiple days in your halloween costume (while being disgusting, hygiene-wise) isn't too unthinkable. College parties can get crazy. I knew someone who came to visit our college town last year for Halloween and wore a kilt as part of his costume. He didn't bring any other clothes with him and, even though he showered at the house of friends, he refused to wear anything but the costume for the weekend he was here (too broke to buy new clothes, too stubborn to borrow anything). He didn't care what people thought of him. I'm sure that was the case here.

I don't know if it was necessary to charge him after the incident. Was it silly to wear the costume around campus in this day and age? Probably. Should he have ditched the ski mask once on campus? Definitely, because that's an alarming image. But should he have been charged? IMO, I don't think so. Just a misunderstanding. :twocents:

 

[i.b.nora]

i have seen no news reports saying he wore the costume for three days. What I have seen is people posting here who assume he wore it for three days.

Remember, he also has a backpack. We don't know what he had in the backpack. News reports said that he said that he wore the costume back to campus because he couldn't fit it in his backpack, suggesting to me that he had regular street clothes either underneath the costume or in his backpack.

I personally highly doubt that he wore the costume for three days.

 

[i.b.nora]

CBSNews Crimesider
CCSU Lockdown Update: Professor's son arrested - again - for returning to campus, report says

"Kyem, 21, was first arrested Monday and charged with breach of peace after reports of a person wearing camouflage and carrying a weapon surfaced and ultimately led to a lockdown of the school, according to the station (WFSB). He was later released on $1,000 bail.

Police reportedly said Kyem was warned not to return to campus before meeting with the staff in CCSU's office of Student Conduct. He was specifically informed that he had to meet with CCSU Director of Student Conduct Chris Dukes before returning, according to the station (WFSB). He was charged with criminal trespassing for Tuesday's incident."

 

[LambChop]

CBSNews Crimesider
CCSU Lockdown Update: Professor's son arrested - again - for returning to campus, report says

"Kyem, 21, was first arrested Monday and charged with breach of peace after reports of a person wearing camouflage and carrying a weapon surfaced and ultimately led to a lockdown of the school, according to the station (WFSB). He was later released on $1,000 bail.

Police reportedly said Kyem was warned not to return to campus before meeting with the staff in CCSU's office of Student Conduct. He was specifically informed that he had to meet with CCSU Director of Student Conduct Chris Dukes before returning, according to the station (WFSB). He was charged with criminal trespassing for Tuesday's incident."

So what was so important that the Student Conduct office could not meet with him on Monday so he wouldn't miss any of his classes? A lot of people overreacted and rightfully so but there was nothing to it, just a 21 year old using bad judgment. Surprise, surprise. Slap him on the wrist and let him get back to his classes. jmo

 

[i.b.nora]

Kyem is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Nov. 14.