-by Brenna Kearney, Olivia Moran, and Lindsey Cartwright

 Assailant who stabbed two people in an O.D.U. parking lot following a brawl.

In March of 2013, a group of Old Dominion students gathered for what they thought would be just another small party; a close group of friends, swapping stories, celebrating the weekend, and creating those college memories that stay with you forever. None of them imagined that this night of laughter and joy would culminate in a violent brawl, leaving two young men with stab wounds. Not exactly the type of memories we are hoping to create.

According to eye-witnesses, everyone was having a good time until a guest entered whom nobody seemed to know. The homeowner assumed that he was a friend of a friend, until another of his guests pulled him aside and told him that the mystery guest had recently assaulted and threatened to rape two young women. The homeowner immediately asked the stranger to leave.

Several minutes later, a large group of teenagers showed up at their doorstep, angry that the homeowners had kicked out their friend. The homeowner and others present attempted to talk the group down, but the situation quickly escalated into an all out brawl. Nobody realized at the onset of the fight that the provocateurs were carrying knives concealed. In the aftermath, one student, age 20, had been stabbed in the hand, while a 17-year-old bystander was wounded in the back. The mob quickly scattered and a neighbor called the police, who questioned the homeowners and others from the party. No arrests have been made; fortunately, neither victim succumbed from their wounds.

Andy, the homeowner, stated in press reports that he is “unnerved to say the least”, and believes that student awareness and safety protocols at O.D.U. need to be increased. His neighbor was so affected that she moved out of her home next to Andy’s, stating that “seeing the pool of blood from where the victim had been stabbed was absolutely traumatizing”. She also expressed her gratitude that police have started to patrol the streets regularly and O.D.U. has increased campus security this year.

This has not been the only case of violence originating at a college party. For further reading, check out this article and this one.