What to Know
- An arrest was made after a person was caught on video firebombing an off-campus apartment with Temple University students inside.
- A school spokesperson confirmed with NBC10 that a Temple University Police detective found the suspect Thursday morning. The suspect was apprehended by responding officers.
- Video shows the suspect tossing a firebomb into a home along the 2000 block of North Cleveland Street early in the morning on November 15. None of the four students inside the home were injured.
A person who was caught on video firebombing an off-campus apartment with Temple University students inside is now in custody, according to officials.
A school spokesperson confirmed with NBC10 that a Temple University Police detective found the suspect Thursday morning. Temple police officers responded and the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect was then turned over to Philadelphia Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Police have not yet revealed the suspect's identity.
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Video shows the suspect walking out of a home along the 2000 block of North Cleveland Street early in the morning on November 15. He then walks to an apartment next door and tosses a firebomb through a window before walking off on foot.
A spokesperson confirmed with NBC10 that four Temple University students were inside the apartment at the time of the incident though none of them were injured. The spokesperson said Temple’s Office of the Dean of Students connected with the victims immediately after the incident to provide counseling and other resources.
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Philadelphia Police, Temple University Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) all investigated the incident.
“You shouldn’t come to school to get your degree and worry about your house being firebombed,” John Mangan, a senior at Temple, told NBC10.
Mangan created an Instagram account a few weeks ago called “Keep Us Safe Temple.” The account details crimes on campus. He told NBC10 victims have recently reached out to him.
“We’re seeing the crime creep in from the streets into the homes with the recent firebombing, the three home invasions,” Mangan said. “It’s really concerning because now anyone can be a victim. Not even if you make wrong decisions and put yourself in danger.”
A few days prior to the firebombing, eleven Temple students were tied up, held hostage and robbed during a home invasion at an off-campus house.
“I’m a student here,” Chris Cook, a freshman at Temple, told NBC10. “I’ll be here for many more years. I feel kind of trapped sometimes, on campus. I feel like I can’t go anywhere because of the safety problems.”
The school spokesperson said Temple has remained in contact with the victims of the firebombing.
“We are immensely grateful that no students were injured during this incident, and we encourage all members of the Temple community to remain vigilant and follow these best practices and precautions, which were recently outlined and shared with our community by Temple University Public Safety,” the spokesperson wrote.
Mangan, meanwhile, told NBC10 he’s pushing for a meeting with Temple University leaders to discuss safety.
