NYU Clery Campus Notice

Arsons

On Monday, March 18, at 8:26 p.m., the Department of Campus Safety received a report of two arsons that occurred at 8:06 p.m. and 8:19 p.m., in Washington Square Park, in Manhattan.

At 8:20 p.m., a campus safety officer observed a fire in Washington Square Park and called the FDNY. At 8:28 p.m. the FDNY arrived and extinguished the fire.

Upon further review, six suspects were observed on video intentionally lighting objects on fire. The first fire was ignited at the southwest corner of the park's fountain. The second fire was ignited at the center of the fountain.

No injuries were reported.

Description of Suspects: The suspects are male-presenting. The suspect that was observed starting the fires was wearing white joggers and a dark-colored hoodie.

At this time, there is no indication that this incident is related to the incident that occured on Sunday, March 17th.

If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact NYU Campus Safety at (212) 998-2222.

Please Remember These Safety Tips:

Often, where there is smoke, there is fire. When you see or smell smoke, contact the Fire Department and report the incident to NYU Campus Safety.
Do not try to extinguish an uncontrolled fire by yourself as this can often result to further injury. Call the Fire Department as soon as you witness an uncontrolled fire, alert others around you.
If you witness behavior that seems odd or out of place, trust your instincts and report it to your nearest NYU Campus Safety Officer.
NYU Students can call the Wellness Exchange at 212-443-9999 24/7 for confidential medical and counseling support.
NYU Faculty, Administrators, and Staff can call the Employee Assistance Program powered by Optum at 888-980-8740 24/7 for confidential counseling support.

Read more about our notification policy and procedures. You can also learn more about Campus Safety's services and review answers to Frequently Asked Questions on our website.