Ohio University investigating incident involving guns, racial epithets

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio University police are investigating an incident early Sunday morning in which a group of Black students allegedly were followed, had racial epithets yelled at them, and were threatened with handguns.

According to a crime alert posted to the university’s website, at approximately 1:42 a.m. Sunday, three Black female students reported hearing two groups of males arguing on East Union Street near Schoonover Center.

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The female students allegedly heard the males using the “N” word, which is when one of the women yelled at the two groups, challenging their use of the epithet, the crime alert states.

Police said that while one of the groups left the area, the second group — who police said consisted of three white males and one biracial or Black male — followed the women to Jeff Hill, yelling racial epithets. Two of the males allegedly threatened the women with firearms with laser sites, police said.

The four males then ran from the scene toward Court Street. Police said officers searched the area but didn’t find any suspects.

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Surveillance photos of three of the four suspects are below.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ohio University police at 740-593-1911 or via email.

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