Visitor with a handgun reported inside a Hood residence hall

By Braden Weinel//

An off-campus visitor with a handgun was spotted inside one of Hood College’s residence halls the weekend of Feb. 6.

Campus Safety was notified of the non-resident visitor and the weapon, but upon campus safety’s arrival, the visitor was no longer on site. Once identified, the visitor was issued a ban from ever returning onto the Hood College campus.

The residential student whom the visitor was with was referred to the Office of Residence Life and must go through the student conduct system.

“Immediate actions were taken to ensure that our community was not in any danger,” Dean of Students Ron Wiafe said.

Both the off-campus visitor and the possession of a weapon go against Hood College’s safety policy. The possession of a weapon has always been in violation of the Hood safety policy. The allowance of off-campus visitors, however, has been blocked this school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thurmond Maynard, director and chief of Campus Safety, said that he is not permitted to reveal any further information regarding the incident due to privacy reasons.

Maynard sent an email to residential students on Tuesday, Feb. 9 explaining the situation, but most residents didn’t receive the email until it was resent on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

In the email, Maynard included the 2020-2021 Hood visitor policy, as well as the section of the student handbook regarding firearms.

The 2020-2021 visitor policy states that Hood will re-evaluate the terms of visitation following the second round of on-campus testing on Feb. 8. As of Feb. 11, however, the college has not yet released any new information or updates concerning the visitation policy.

Also included in the email was a list of resources for students needing assistance in mental or physical well-being.

“Please ensure you follow all policies and procedures to ensure your safety along with your fellow classmates,” Maynard said in the conclusion of the alert.