Campus Alert Archive
Tulane

Uber Driver Pulls a Knife on a Student: Tulane Issues Timely Warning After Rideshare Robbery Attempt on Campus

LArobberytimely warninghigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On August 29, 2024, a group of Tulane students returning to campus via Uber were targeted in an attempted armed robbery at Willow Street and McAlister Drive at approximately 11:40 PM. The rideshare driver allegedly pointed a knife at one student and demanded more money after the other passengers had exited. The victim escaped the vehicle without injuries, and NOPD identified a suspect.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Tulane University
Private R1 · LA
~14,000 studentsTU Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatimTulane University Police Department Crime Alerts (Timely Warning, August 29-30, 2024)545 chars
Timely Warning — Attempted Armed Robbery (Uptown Campus) Around 11:40 p.m. on August 29, a group of students used an Uber to return to campus at Willow Street and McAlister Drive. The victim's friends got out of the car at their drop-off location when the driver allegedly pointed a knife at the victim and demanded more money for the trip. The victim left the car without injuries, and the driver left the scene. NOPD has identified a suspect. If you have any information about these crimes, call TUPD at 504-865-5381 or NOPD at 504-821-2222.
Verbatim narrative recovered from TUPD's timely warning via WWL-TV's quoted reporting (wwltv.com/article/news/crime/tulane-police-attempted-armed-robbery-on-uptown-campus-new-orleans)
The incident occurred during the first week of the fall 2024 semester
The robbery attempt occurred at Willow Street and McAlister Drive, which is on the Tulane Uptown campus near McAlister Auditorium
The alleged perpetrator was the rideshare driver, making this an unusual case of a service provider targeting a student
Context

Background

On the evening of August 29, 2024, during the first week of Tulane's fall semester, a group of students used an Uber to return to the Uptown campus. At Willow Street and McAlister Drive, the other passengers exited the vehicle, and the driver allegedly pointed a knife at the remaining student and demanded additional money for the trip. The victim managed to leave the car without injuries, and the driver fled the scene. TUPD issued a timely warning to the campus community and notified the New Orleans Police Department, which identified a suspect. The incident highlighted ongoing safety concerns around rideshare usage in the New Orleans area near campus. Tulane had previously dealt with armed robberies of students near campus, including multiple incidents involving students walking near the Uptown campus perimeter.
Analysis

Key Findings

The perpetrator was the rideshare driver, an unusual scenario that raises questions about student safety when using ride-hailing services
The incident occurred during the first week of the fall 2024 semester, when many students are new to the area
NOPD identified a suspect quickly, suggesting the rideshare platform's records aided the investigation
Outcome
The victim escaped the vehicle without physical injuries. The driver fled the scene. NOPD identified a suspect in connection with the incident. Tulane University Police Department issued a timely warning to the campus community.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Tulane issues warning after armed robbery attempt on campus (WWLTV)
    wwltv.com
  2. Official
    Crime Alerts (Tulane Public Safety)
    publicsafety.tulane.edu
  3. Student Paper
    TUPD reports 2 armed robberies early Sunday (Tulane Hullabaloo)
    tulanehullabaloo.com
Tags
robberyattempted-robberyrideshareknifetimely-warninglouisianaprivate-university
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion