Campus Alert Archive
DSU

A Man and His Two Cats Were Living Above the Stage at Dickinson State

NDburglaryadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In late January 2025, Dickinson State University in western North Dakota discovered that a man had been living, with two cats, in the loft above the stage of Stickney Auditorium — a space that includes a dance studio, wardrobe closet, and offices. The DSU Campus Safety Office said it did not believe the individual posed a threat but urged the campus to stay vigilant, and the university added security cameras, emergency lighting, and access-point changes in response. The Dickinson Police Department was in contact with the man over his unauthorized entry.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Dickinson State University
Public Bachelors · ND
DSU Campus Safety
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction400 chars
DSU Campus Safety: An individual was found to have been living without authorization in a space above the Stickney Auditorium stage. The person has been identified and Dickinson Police are in contact with him. We do not believe that this individual poses a threat to anyone on campus. Please remain vigilant when entering dark or low-traffic areas and report any suspicious activity to Campus Safety.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The phrase 'We do not believe that this individual poses a threat to anyone on campus' is quoted in The Dickinson Press as DSU Campus Safety's language; surrounding text is reconstructed, so the message is marked unconfirmed.
This is classified as an advisory rather than an emergency notification because DSU explicitly stated there was no ongoing threat and issued it after the discovery.
The exact send time was not published; news coverage appeared January 30-31, 2025, so timestampApprox is used instead of an invented precise time.
Context

Background

Dickinson State University, a public bachelor's-granting institution in Dickinson, North Dakota (Mountain Time), discovered in late January 2025 that a man and his two cats had been living illegally in the loft above the stage of Stickney Auditorium. According to The Dickinson Press, the space included a dance studio, wardrobe closet, and several offices. DSU Campus Safety said it did not believe the man posed a threat but asked the community to remain vigilant; the Dickinson Police Department was in contact with him over the unauthorized entry, and InForum reported no charges had been announced at the time. In response, DSU installed security cameras in the affected area, placed emergency lighting in the hallway, and modified the access point, with more security work planned. The case is an unusual entry in the campus-alert record: a non-violent trespass/unauthorized-living situation handled through a vigilance advisory rather than a lockdown.
Analysis

Key Findings

A man had been living, with two cats, in the loft above Stickney Auditorium's stage at Dickinson State University, discovered in late January 2025
DSU Campus Safety classified the situation as non-threatening and issued a vigilance advisory rather than an emergency notification
The university responded with new security cameras, emergency lighting, and access-point modifications
Dickinson Police were in contact with the identified individual; no charges had been announced in initial reporting
Outcome
The individual was identified and the Dickinson Police Department was in contact with him about his unauthorized use of the building. No charges had been announced as of the initial reporting. DSU installed security cameras, emergency lighting, and modified the access point.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Man discovered living in loft above DSU auditorium stage - The Dickinson Press
    thedickinsonpress.com
  2. News
    Man and his two cats discovered living in Dickinson State University auditorium - KSJB AM 600
    ksjbam.com
  3. News
    Man and his cats found living above Dickinson State University stage - InForum
    inforum.com
Tags
burglarytrespassadvisorynorth-dakotaunauthorized-entrycampus-safety
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion