{
  "id": "2025-12-13-adelphi-university-residence-hall-sexual-assault",
  "slug": "adelphi-university-residence-hall-sexual-assault-2025-12-13",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Adelphi University",
    "shortName": "Adelphi",
    "state": "NY",
    "type": "private-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "Adelphi Safety Alert"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-12-13",
    "type": "sexual-assault",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "headline": "Student sexually assaulted in a residence hall by a person met through social media",
    "headlinePublic": "Student sexually assaulted in a residence hall by a person met through social media",
    "summary": "On the evening of December 13, 2025, a student at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, was sexually assaulted in a campus residence hall by an individual she had met on Snapchat. The assault was reported on Sunday, December 14, and [Adelphi Public Safety issued a safety alert notification](https://www.adelphi.edu/news/safety-alert-sexual-assault-4/), with the Garden City Police Department opening an investigation. The suspect, described as an adult Black male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, was not confirmed to be affiliated with Adelphi University.",
    "outcome": "The Garden City Police Department, supported by Adelphi Public Safety, opened an active investigation. The identity of the suspect was not immediately determined. The university issued a safety alert and provided resources for the campus community. News 12 Long Island later reported that an arrest was made on campus following the report of the sexual assault.",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 1
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Sunday, December 14, 2025, after the student reported the assault",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Safety Alert: Sexual Assault\n\nOn Sunday, December 14, 2025, an Adelphi University student reported a sexual assault that occurred on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in a campus residence hall. The student reported that the assailant was someone they met on Snapchat.\n\nThe individual is currently unidentified and is described as an adult Black male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a medium build. At this time, it is unknown whether the individual is affiliated with Adelphi University.\n\nThe incident is under active investigation by the Garden City Police Department, with support from Adelphi Public Safety.\n\nAnyone with information about the incident or the identity of the person of interest, or who observes suspicious or unusual activity, should contact the Department of Public Safety at 516.877.3511 (off campus) or dial 5 from any campus phone.\n\nCrime survivors are not responsible for their victimization; perpetrators are accountable for their crimes and the outcomes of their actions. The following safety information may help reduce the risk of becoming a crime victim.\n\nIn compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Act, Timely Warnings are issued by the Adelphi University Public Safety Department when certain (Clery Act) crimes occurring on campus property, properties controlled by campus-affiliated organizations, or public property immediately adjacent to campus are determined to be a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Timely Warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will help community members protect themselves.\n\nThis is a required Timely Warning Notice regarding an alleged Clery crime that occurred on campus property. Please note, Timely Warnings are advisories distributed via email and will not include a text message version. Adelphi University Emergency Notification System text messages are reserved for active emergencies.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.adelphi.edu/news/safety-alert-sexual-assault-4/",
      "sourceDescription": "Adelphi News — Safety Alert: Sexual Assault",
      "annotations": [
        "This case illustrates the growing risk of social media-facilitated sexual violence on campus, in which an individual unknown to the university community gains access to campus through a student's personal social media connection."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1920
    }
  ],
  "context": "On the evening of Saturday, December 13, 2025, an Adelphi University student was sexually assaulted in a campus residence hall by an individual she had met on Snapchat. The student reported the assault to campus authorities the following day, Sunday, December 14. [Adelphi Public Safety issued a safety alert](https://www.adelphi.edu/news/safety-alert-sexual-assault-4/) describing the suspect as an adult male of unknown campus affiliation, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. The Garden City Police Department opened an active investigation. The assault occurred on the same calendar date as the [Brown University mass shooting in Providence, Rhode Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Brown_University_shooting), which claimed two lives that afternoon -- though the two events are wholly unrelated. Adelphi University's main campus is located in Garden City on Long Island, New York. The case underscores the challenge of controlling campus access when students arrange off-campus acquaintances to visit residence halls through social media platforms, a pattern documented at campuses nationwide. [Adelphi has an established public safety alert system](https://www.adelphi.edu/safety-transportation/clery-act/) and issues Clery-compliant safety alerts for Clery Act crimes occurring on its geography.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Safety Alert: Sexual Assault - Adelphi University",
      "url": "https://www.adelphi.edu/news/safety-alert-sexual-assault-4/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Arrest made on campus following report of sexual assault - News 12 Long Island",
      "url": "https://longisland.news12.com/adelphi-arrest-made-on-campus-following-report-of-sexual-assault",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "sexual-assault",
    "timely-warning",
    "new-york",
    "garden-city",
    "long-island",
    "residence-hall",
    "social-media",
    "snapchat",
    "clery-act"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-17",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}