Campus Security Advisory: Colby Incident

March 11, 2023

To the Bowdoin campus community,

As many of you know, there was an altercation involving three men last night at a large party in the Alfond Apartments at Colby College that resulted in two shots being fired. Both rounds struck a wall without causing any injuries. None of the three men is a Colby student. Police responded immediately and one of the men, a 24-year-old Waterville resident, was arrested for reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Thankfully, no one was injured but this is a vivid reminder about the risk of allowing people into campus residences or other spaces who are not members of the Bowdoin community. President Rose has been in touch with Colby’s president to offer any assistance they would find helpful.

I want to remind everyone that Bowdoin Safety and Security regularly reviews, practices, and enhances our “active shooter” protocols, and we work closely with the local and state police in these efforts. We gather “lessons learned” from incidents elsewhere and review the recommendations of federal agencies.

In the event of an “active shooter” on our campus or in our area, here are the four simple steps you should remember:

1. If you see something, say something—immediately report any safety concerns or suspicious activity to Campus Safety and Security (725-3500) or dial 9-1-1.
2. RUN—Put distance between yourself and any threat.
3. HIDE—Hide or shelter in place in a safe and secure space.
4. FIGHT—As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter.

These practical steps to protect yourself and others are explained well in this video. I would ask you to review it if you haven’t already done so.

Again, we are very thankful that there was no one hurt at Colby last night, and we wish them the very best in the aftermath of this situation.

Sincerely,

Randy