unknown male – Harvard says a person entered Lowell House on Tuesday evening without authorization after following someone else into the building, attempted to force an undergraduate into a room, and fled when the victim screamed. The victim was not injured; the investigatio
A student in Harvard’s Lowell House felt a presence from behind just as they were stepping into their room—close enough to cover their mouth and try to force them inside.
In a campus-wide alert Tuesday evening, Harvard University said Harvard University police and Cambridge police officers responded to Lowell House on Holyoke Place around 5:30 p.m. The university described Lowell House as one of its 12 residential houses.
Harvard said an “unknown male” entered the residence hall without authorization after following someone else into the building. the alleged victim told authorities. As the victim entered their room. the perpetrator allegedly “approached from behind. covered the victim’s mouth. and attempted to force the victim into the room.”.
The alert said the victim screamed, prompting several nearby residents to exit their rooms. At that point, the suspect fled the area. Harvard said the victim was not injured.
Authorities said the incident is “an active criminal investigation,” and officers are searching for a suspect. A spokesperson for Cambridge police referred any comment to campus authorities.
For students returning to their rooms after hours of classes or late study. residence halls are supposed to be familiar ground. Tuesday’s alert described an attack that began in that space—inside the doorway of a room—before it quickly unraveled into a scramble of nearby residents responding to a scream. and a suspect disappearing before police could arrive.
Harvard University Lowell House Holyoke Place student assault campus police Cambridge police criminal investigation