A campus alert issued on Tuesday detailing a fire on the fourth floor of Weymouth Hall may feel like a deja vu experience to Texas Tech students.
Paper affixed to the outside of a dorm room door was lit aflame on May 2. A similar incident occurred on April 15 on the fourth floor of Gates Hall, where construction paper on the exterior of a dorm room door was also lit on fire. Both fires were quickly extinguished, but the doors do have minor damages.
Allison Terry/The Hub@TTU
Though the cases seem similar, Administrative Captain for the Texas Tech Police Department Stephen Hinkle said they are unrelated.
“The first one, we already have a suspect,” Hinkle said in a phone interview. “This one, we do not.”
Tech PD is currently investigating the second incident.
According to Texas Tech University Housing, flammable items, including candles, are strictly prohibited in residence halls. Open flames are not banned but are strongly discouraged. The Code of Student Conduct also has strict regulations about property damage.
If caught, the perpetrator faces an arson charge and a $25 to $50 fine.
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