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Caltech

Man with a sword charges security officers in a campus parking lot, then flees

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CAaggravated assaulttimely warninghigh confidence
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Under Investigation

On the morning of June 7, 2023, two Caltech Security officers unlocking the Tournament Park parking lot south of Braun Athletic Center encountered a man inside a red Chevy van who produced a samurai-style sword and charged them. The officers retreated to Wilson Avenue and called Pasadena Police; the suspect fled, and Caltech issued a Timely Warning Crime Bulletin the same day under the Jeanne Clery Act.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
California Institute of Technology
Private R1 · CA
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~2,400 studentsCaltech Security Announcements
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2097 chars
Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin - Aggravated Assault This Timely Warning Bulletin is being issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act. The purpose is to provide preventative information to the campus community to aid members from becoming the victim of a crime. Summary: On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m., while unlocking the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center, Caltech Security officers observed a red Chevy utility van parked in the parking lot. As officers were questioning the individual, the man produced a "samurai"-style sword and charged the officers. The officers retreated to Wilson Ave. and notified the Pasadena Police Department. The suspect fled the area in the van. Pasadena Police searched the area for the individual but were unable to locate him. The department is investigating this incident. Pasadena Police will share additional information as it becomes available. Caltech Security has increased patrols in the area. Suspect: The suspect is described as a white adult male in his late '20s, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, and with shoulder-length black hair. The suspect was wearing a black shirt with white lettering on the back, black pants, and black shoes. He had tattoos on both sides of his face on his upper cheeks and had a light brown chihuahua dog with him. Information & Questions: Anyone with information or questions should contact Caltech Security by calling 626-395-4701. Safety Tips: Caltech Security offers the following basic safety precautions to all members of the community: Be aware of your surroundings and look assertive. • Report suspicious activity or packages to security. • Walk with friends or coworkers when possible. • Trust your intuition. If a particular situation makes you feel uncomfortable, choose an alternative. • If you feel threatened on campus, look for a call box for emergency assistance, or call Security at (626) 395-5000. • Program the phone number for Caltech Security into your cell phone (626) 395-4701 (non-emergency) or (626) 395-5000 (emergency).
Verify this quote
Caltech Security Announcements: Timely Warning Crime Bulletin (verbatim)security.caltech.edufind archived copies
The bulletin opens by naming the Clery category ('Aggravated Assault') in the title, a Caltech convention that immediately tells readers what statutory category drives the warning
Quoting 'samurai' in single quotes preserves the security officers' descriptive language while signaling the institution is not making a formal weapons-classification claim
The narrative names the responding agency (Pasadena Police Department) and the retreat point (Wilson Avenue), giving the community geographic specificity without identifying officers by name
The bulletin closes with the Clery Act citation, naming the federal authority for the notice
2026-09-21 second deep audit b51 P4 a1-noledger-single-alert-public-case. Recapture official product at product boundary. Dual html.parser walk+regex. Cap-exempt R1.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 5.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin - Aggravated Assault This Timely Warning Bulletin is being issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act. The purpose is to provide preventative information to the campus community to aid members from becoming the victim of a crime. Summary: On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m., while unlocking the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center, Caltech Security officers observed a red Chevy utility van parked in the parking lot. As officers were questioning the individual, the man produced a "samurai"-style sword and charged the officers. The officers retreated to Wilson Ave. and notified the Pasadena Police Department. The suspect fled the area in the van. Pasadena Police searched the area for the individual but were unable to locate him. The department is investigating this incident. Pasadena Police will share additional information as it becomes available. Caltech Security has increased patrols in the area. Suspect: The suspect is described as a white adult male in his late '20s, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, and with shoulder-length black hair. The suspect was wearing a black shirt with white lettering on the back, black pants, and black shoes. He had tattoos on both sides of his face on his upper cheeks and had a light brown chihuahua dog with him. Information & Questions: Anyone with information or questions should contact Caltech Security by calling 626-395-4701. Safety Tips: Caltech Security offers the following basic safety precautions to all members of the community: Be aware of your surroundings and look assertive. • Report suspicious activity or packages to security. • Walk with friends or coworkers when possible. • Trust your intuition. If a particular situation makes you feel uncomfortable, choose an alternative. • If you feel threatened on campus, look for a call box for emergency assistance, or call Security at (626) 395-5000. • Program the phone number for Caltech Security into your cell phone (626) 395-4701 (non-emergency) or (626) 395-5000 (emergency).

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: the bulletin is headed "Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin" and is issued by Caltech Security.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Identified as a Caltech Timely Warning bulletin from Caltech Security.
    2. present: Headed 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and cites Caltech Security.
    3. present: Issued as a "Caltech Timely Warning" and names Caltech Security.
    4. present: Headed 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and names Caltech Security and Pasadena Police.
    5. present: Titled "Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin" and attributed to Caltech Security.
    6. present: Titled "Caltech Timely Warning" and names Caltech Security.
    7. present: Issued as a 'Caltech Timely Warning' naming Caltech Security.
    8. present: Titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and names Caltech Security.
    9. present: It is a 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' naming Caltech Security.
    10. present: Headed 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and signed by Caltech Security.
    11. present: It is a Caltech Timely Warning and names Caltech Security.
    12. present: Headed 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and cites Caltech Security.
    13. present: Issued as a 'Caltech Timely Warning' and names Caltech Security.
    14. present: The bulletin is issued by Caltech Security.
    15. present: Issued as a 'Caltech Timely Warning' by Caltech Security.
    16. present: The header 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and repeated mention of 'Caltech Security' identify the sender.
    17. present: It is headed 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and cites Caltech Security, clearly identifying the issuer.
    18. present: The header 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and repeated references to Caltech Security identify the issuing authority.
    19. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and references Caltech Security throughout.
    20. present: It is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and names 'Caltech Security' as the issuing department.
    21. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and names Caltech Security, identifying the source.
    22. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and names Caltech Security as the responding authority.
    23. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and references Caltech Security throughout.
    24. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and cites Caltech Security, identifying the sender.
    25. present: The bulletin is titled 'Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin' and cites Caltech Security, which identifies the issuing authority.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it names an aggravated assault in which a man produced a "samurai"-style sword and charged officers.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Aggravated assault with a samurai-style sword.
    2. present: It names an aggravated assault in which a man charged officers with a sword.
    3. present: It describes an aggravated assault with a "samurai"-style sword.
    4. present: Names 'Aggravated Assault' by a man who produced a 'samurai-style sword'.
    5. present: It names an aggravated assault by a man with a "samurai"-style sword.
    6. present: It names an aggravated assault by a man with a samurai style sword.
    7. present: Describes an aggravated assault with a 'samurai-style sword'.
    8. present: Names an aggravated assault with a 'samurai'-style sword.
    9. present: It names an aggravated assault involving a 'samurai'-style sword.
    10. present: It names an aggravated assault in which a man charged officers with a 'samurai'-style sword.
    11. present: It names aggravated assault with a samurai style sword.
    12. present: It names an aggravated assault by a man with a 'samurai'-style sword.
    13. present: It describes an aggravated assault by a man with a samurai-style sword.
    14. present: It describes an aggravated assault in which a man charged officers with a sword.
    15. present: An aggravated assault in which a man charged officers with a sword.
    16. present: It describes an aggravated assault in which a man 'produced a samurai-style sword and charged the officers'.
    17. present: It names an aggravated assault in which a man produced a 'samurai'-style sword and charged officers.
    18. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man produced a 'samurai'-style sword and charged officers.
    19. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man produced a 'samurai-style sword' and charged officers.
    20. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man 'produced a samurai-style sword and charged the officers'.
    21. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man 'produced a samurai-style sword and charged the officers'.
    22. present: It describes an aggravated assault in which a man 'produced a samurai style sword and charged the officers'.
    23. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man 'produced a samurai-style sword and charged the officers'.
    24. present: It names an 'Aggravated Assault' in which a man with a 'samurai-style sword' charged officers.
    25. present: It describes an aggravated assault in which a man 'produced a samurai-style sword and charged the officers', a specific threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it places the incident at the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Tournament Park parking lot south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    2. present: It places it at the Tournament Park parking lot, south of Braun Athletic Center.
    3. present: It places the incident at the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    4. present: Gives 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    5. present: It gives the "Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center".
    6. present: It says the Tournament Park parking lot south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    7. present: Locates it at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    8. present: Names the Tournament Park parking lot south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    9. present: It locates it at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    10. present: It places the incident at the Tournament Park parking lot south of Braun Athletic Center.
    11. present: It says the Tournament Park parking lot south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    12. present: It names the Tournament Park parking lot south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    13. present: It names the Tournament Park parking lot south of Braun Athletic Center.
    14. present: It names the Tournament Park parking lot south of Braun Athletic Center.
    15. present: Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    16. present: It names the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center' and Wilson Ave.
    17. present: It places the event at the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center.
    18. present: It places the event at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center', a specific campus location.
    19. present: It locates the event at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    20. present: It locates the event at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    21. present: It locates the event at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    22. present: It locates the event at 'the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center', with officers retreating to Wilson Ave.
    23. present: It places the event at 'the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    24. present: It locates the event at 'the Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center'.
    25. present: It locates the event at the 'Tournament Park parking lot, south of the Braun Athletic Center', a named campus place.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: the safety tips tell readers to report suspicious activity, walk with friends, and call Security if they feel threatened.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Safety tips such as walking with friends and reporting suspicious activity.
    2. present: Safety tips instruct readers to report suspicious activity, walk with friends, and call Security if threatened.
    3. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with friends and report suspicious activity.
    4. present: Safety tips instruct recipients to 'Walk with friends' and call a call box or Security if threatened.
    5. present: Safety tips tell readers to report suspicious activity, walk with friends, and call Security if threatened.
    6. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with friends and use a call box if threatened.
    7. present: Safety tips instruct recipients to walk with friends and call Security if threatened.
    8. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with friends, report suspicious activity, and call Security if threatened.
    9. present: Safety tips tell readers to report suspicious activity, walk with others, and use call boxes.
    10. present: Safety tips instruct readers to report suspicious activity, walk with friends, and call Security if threatened.
    11. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with friends and call Security if threatened.
    12. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with friends and call Security if threatened.
    13. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with others and use call boxes if threatened.
    14. present: Safety tips tell readers to walk with others and report suspicious activity.
    15. present: Safety tips such as walking with friends and using call boxes if threatened.
    16. present: The safety tips tell readers to 'Walk with friends or coworkers' and to call Security if threatened, which are protective actions.
    17. present: Its safety tips tell readers to 'Walk with friends' and 'Report suspicious activity', which are protective actions.
    18. present: Its safety tips instruct readers to 'Walk with friends or coworkers' and to call Security if threatened, which are protective actions.
    19. present: Safety tips instruct readers to 'Walk with friends' and call Security at (626) 395-5000 if threatened.
    20. present: The safety tips instruct readers to 'Walk with friends' and to call Security at (626) 395-5000 'If you feel threatened'.
    21. present: Its safety tips instruct readers to 'Walk with friends' and 'call Security' if threatened on campus.
    22. present: The safety tips tell readers to 'Walk with friends', report suspicious activity, and call Security if threatened, which are protective actions.
    23. present: Safety tips tell readers to 'Report suspicious activity' and call a call box or Security if threatened.
    24. present: Safety tips tell readers to 'Walk with friends' and call Security if threatened, which are protective actions.
    25. present: Its safety tips tell readers to 'Walk with friends or coworkers' and call Security if threatened, which are protective actions.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously: it states "June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m."

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: June 7, 2023 at around 7:30 a.m.
    2. present: It states 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    3. present: It gives "June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.".
    4. present: States 'On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    5. present: It says "On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.".
    6. present: It gives "June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m."
    7. present: States 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'.
    8. present: Gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'.
    9. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    10. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    11. present: It gives June 7, 2023 at around 7:30 a.m.
    12. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'.
    13. present: It gives June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.
    14. present: It gives "June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.".
    15. present: 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    16. present: It dates the event 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.', giving a specific time.
    17. present: It gives the time as June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.
    18. present: It dates the incident 'On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.', giving a clear date and time.
    19. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.' as the incident time.
    20. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.' as the date and time of the assault.
    21. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.' as the time of the incident.
    22. present: It gives the date and time 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.'
    23. present: It dates the event 'On June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.', a clear time reference.
    24. present: It dates the event 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.', a specific date and time.
    25. present: It gives 'June 7, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m.' as the time of the incident.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously: the bulletin describes the act, but no injury, consequence, or explicit severity is stated.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: Describes the act but states no consequence or severity.
    2. absent: No explicit consequence or severity is stated; officers retreated and no injury is reported.
    3. absent: No injury or explicit statement of potential harm is given; it only describes the charge.
    4. absent: Aside from generic prevention boilerplate, no explicit consequence or severity statement appears.
    5. absent: No injury or explicit severity is stated; officers retreated and no harm is described.
    6. absent: No stated consequence or severity, only a narrative of the encounter.
    7. absent: No explicit statement of harm or severity is given; no one is reported hurt.
    8. absent: No injury or explicit statement of potential harm is given.
    9. absent: No injury, consequence, or severity statement about the threat appears.
    10. absent: It describes the event but states no explicit consequence or severity of the threat to readers.
    11. absent: It describes the charge but states no injury or explicit severity.
    12. absent: It describes the charge at officers but states no injury or explicit severity.
    13. absent: No injuries or explicit severity statement are given; it only describes the charge.
    14. absent: It describes the event but states no consequence or severity.
    15. absent: Describes the event but states no injury or explicit severity.
    16. absent: The bulletin reports no injuries and does not say what the armed suspect could do beyond naming the assault.
    17. absent: It recounts the sword charge but never states what harm could result or characterizes the danger's severity.
    18. absent: Although a sword was brandished, the bulletin states no injury, danger level, or consequence of the assault for readers.
    19. absent: The bulletin describes the sword charge but reports no injury and never states the potential consequences or severity.
    20. absent: Although the sword charge is described, the bulletin never states injuries or what harm the suspect could cause.
    21. absent: No injuries or explicit severity are stated; the officers simply retreated and the suspect fled.
    22. absent: Although a sword charge is described, the bulletin never states a consequence such as possible injury or how dangerous the suspect is.
    23. absent: Beyond describing the sword charge, it does not state potential consequences or severity, only a generic aim of crime prevention.
    24. absent: Although a sword is described, the bulletin states no injury or explicit consequence, only the assault label.
    25. absent: Although the suspect charged with a sword, the bulletin states no injury or explicit severity of harm, only that officers retreated.

Coded by Claude Opus 5.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Caltech is a small private R1 research institution in Pasadena, California, with about 2,400 students. Its Tournament Park, the historic 1908 Olympic site Caltech now uses as recreation grounds, sits south of the main campus across Wilson Avenue and houses the Braun Athletic Center. Shortly after 7:30 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, two Caltech Security officers opening the Tournament Park parking lot approached a man parked in a red Chevy utility van. When questioned, the man produced what officers described as a 'samurai'-style sword and charged at them. The officers retreated north across Wilson Avenue and called the Pasadena Police Department, which searched the area but did not locate the suspect. Because aggravated assault is a Clery Act-reportable crime category and the suspect was at large in the area immediately surrounding campus, Caltech Security issued a Timely Warning Crime Bulletin the same morning. The bulletin's compact, fact-first structure (a single paragraph that names the date, time, location, weapon, and responding agency) is a model of the Clery 'enough information to allow people to protect themselves' standard, and is consistent with how Caltech Security handles alerts on a campus without its own police department.
Analysis

Key Findings

The bulletin was issued the same morning as the assault, satisfying the Clery 'timely' standard for a continuing-threat scenario
The bulletin opens with the Clery crime category in the title and closes with a Jeanne Clery Act citation
The officers retreated rather than engage and notified the Pasadena Police Department
Tournament Park is a Clery-defined 'public property' adjacent to Caltech's campus, triggering the timely-warning obligation despite the location being outside the academic core
Pasadena Police searched the area but did not locate the suspect, an unresolved but documented public-safety event that became part of the institutional record
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Caltech Timely Warning Crime Bulletin — Aggravated Assault (Caltech Security)
    security.caltech.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    Timely Warning Policy (Clery at Caltech)
    clery.caltech.edu
    archived copy
  3. Official
    Tournament Park (Caltech Facilities Operations)
    facilitiesoperations.caltech.edu
    archived copy
  4. Source
    Tournament Park — Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "California Institute of Technology: Man with a sword charges security officers in a campus parking lot, then flees." Incident of June 7, 2023. Added May 2026; last updated September 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/caltech-tournament-park-sword-assault-2023-06-07/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
aggravated-assaulttimely-warningcaltechcaliforniapasadenaprivate-r1edged-weaponclery-acttournament-parksmall-r1Under Investigation
Added May 2026Updated September 2026Via ingestion