Despite residence hall security measures, an unknown man entered Schroeder Hall Jan. 31 without authorization. The man is not associated with Marquette.
The university confirmed he was in the building for around 25 minutes. By the time Marquette University Police Department arrived on the scene, he had left.
There was no official university, residence life or MUPD communication about the intruder to Schroeder residents.
MUPD traditionally issues safety alerts if there’s an active threat to campus, a significant police presence or a building or weather issue. The university issued an official statement to The Wire upon request.
“A non-MU subject walked past the Residence Hall front desk without providing identification. Residence hall staff is directed to not engage trespassers directly for the safety of themselves and others, but rather contact MUPD. When the subject was observed inside the building, MUPD was contacted and responded quickly. By the time they arrived, however, the subject had left the premises. MUPD is working with the Office of Residence Life to reinforce best practices for monitoring and securing entrances to the buildings, especially during high-traffic times,” the university said in a statement.
An anonymous member on the official Marquette University parent Facebook group wrote that the unknown intruder was on her daughter’s floor in one of the common areas.
“It’s absolutely terrifying to find out that a man managed to get past the desk and Schroeder Hall and was found wandering on the second floor,” the member wrote. “My daughter lives on that floor and was taking a shower at that time…Why weren’t there any phone alerts sent out?? They send alerts out when suspicious people are blocks from campus but this person managed to be in the building.”
Brennan Flynn, a Schroeder Hall resident and sophomore in the College of Nursing, said she was studying on the 10th floor around 7 p.m. She said she was walking down the hall and saw a man wearing a backpack and playing with the elevator button.
“When the doors opened, a girl walked out of the elevator to her room,” Flynn said. “He didn’t immediately get in. He paused and made eye contact with me. We just stared at each other until he got in the elevator.”
Flynn said she didn’t realize anything was wrong until she overheard police on her floor giving a description of the man and asking students for information.
“I remember a weird gut feeling….but I pushed the feelings aside because of the desk receptionists,” Flynn said. “I mean, I can’t even enter the dorm without my Marquette ID, I don’t know how this man could.”
Residence Hall security measures
All residence halls have 24/7 secured MUID access, which requires Marquette community members to swipe their MUID to enter, since the fall of 2022. Other campus buildings, such as the Alumni Memorial Union and academic buildings, require MUIDs when entering after hours.
Each residence hall has an exterior video intercom for visitors and people who forget their MUID to request entry.
The MUID secured access to campus buildings is one of the initiatives of the President’s Task Force on Community Safety, which was launched in February 2022 in response to an increase in crime on campus and throughout Milwaukee as a whole.
In order to check a guest into a residence hall, students have to leave their ID and their guest’s IDs with the front desk. Students can check in up to three guests at a time, and the host is required to stay with their guests at all times within the residence hall.
Residence hall visitation hours are 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and are extended until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Students are allowed up to two guests beyond the visitation hours, provided they are the same sex as their host and are pre-registered with the front desk by 10 p.m. of the night of the visit.
This story was written by Jack Albright, Sophia Tiedge and Megan Woolard.
