A troubled individual in a ‘mental health crisis’ broke into Waldron Tower early on Oct. 25, shattering glass doors and leaving blood throughout the building before being apprehended by police.
Journal reporter living in Waldron heard yelling and slamming around 5 a.m. before calling police at 5:28 a.m., when the sound of breaking glass echoed from the dorms’ open windows. Within minutes, a police cruiser arrived, followed by multiple fire trucks, ambulances and Campus Security and Emergency Services.
“Officers arrived on scene at approximately 5:35 a.m. and located a male in a mental health crisis,” Kingston Police wrote in a statement to The Journal. “The male had used his hands to break numerous windows on the first and second floors of Waldron Tower.”
Police took the man into custody safely before he was transported to Kingston General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
“A parallel criminal investigation is also underway,” Kingston Police said in their statement. “The status of the charges will depend on the total damages caused.” Police stated there’s is no ongoing risk to the public.
Amir Aboudaoud, ArtSci ’29, witnessed the incident from a residence common room with another resident. “It was 5 a.m., I heard multiple large bangs,” Aboudaoud said in an interview with The Journal. “Seconds later, screams were heard of what seemed like a man screaming, ‘Help me.’”
He said the man sprinted down the hall, yelling and slamming his hands on the walls. “I locked myself in the laundry room and immediately let the Waldron group chat know there’s something going on,” he said.
Videos shared by students showed the broken windows, and the man later sneaking around the ledges by the second-floor windows.
Aboudaoud said when he walked out later, he saw shattered glass and blood on multiple surfaces. “The second-floor bathroom had blood smeared all over the walls,” he said. “Straight out of a horror movie.”
Emergency crews remained on scene until around 7 a.m. as they worked to remove the individual from the ledge and transport him to the hospital.
The following evening, Residence Life Services held a meeting with residents to address the incident and ongoing safety concerns.
Tom Gallini, Assistant Director (Residence Life and Services), said, at the meeting, that “events like this are very, very rare on campus.”
Students expressed frustration aboutwith the ease of access to the building and the lack of security present.
Gallini said a full review is underway. “We [Residence Life and Services] try to strike a balance between the place being secure and also people being able to go about their lives,” he said. “This isn’t the end of the conversation.”
In an e-mail to Waldron residents, Residence Life said the individual wasn’t affiliated with the University.
Staff and contractors completed biohazard cleanup and window repairs within hours, followed by additional cleaning and inspections the following week.
In a statement to The Journal, the University confirmed that security measures at Waldron, including double-locked glass doors, electronic key access, exterior lighting, blue lights in laundry rooms and 24/7 campus patrols, are consistent with other residences on campus. The University’s reviewing additional safety enhancements, such reinforcing entrance glass and restricting stairwell and floor access.
“We [Queen’s] recognize this incident was distressing, and we regret the impact it has had on students in Waldron. Queen’s is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive living environment for all students. As we continue to review and enhance safety measures, we will provide updates and communications to students in Waldron,” the University wrote.
Gallini said Residence Life Services will work with Campus Security and Emergency Services to explore potential security enhancements, including reinforcing the front doors and restricting floor access. The incident will also be reviewed by the Housing and Ancillary Services Safety and Security Committee.
Mental health supports, including drop-in counselling and same-day therapy appointments, have been made available to affected residents.
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Tom
An excellent response time from the city and campus authorities. This is indeed a very rare occurrence…once in a generation or two. Students are safe in residence…and this could have happened on the streets. The parents’ responses are beyond “helicoptering” levels. Let your adult students and Queen’s University navigate this.
Ahmed
Thanks for sharing, Tom!