The Tripod

On Sunday, April 19, two Connecticut College students were arrested after setting two small fires in one of the residence halls.

At 3:30 a.m. in the Jane Addams residence hall, Campus Safety officers responded to a smoke alarm. It was then that they found a bag of cups and trash burning on the third floor, according to Amy Martin, a campus media spokesperson.

The New London Fire Department was called, although Campus Safety had extinguished the fire and evacuated the hall before their arrival. After arriving, the firemen determined the building was safe for the students to return.

During their investigation of the building, the firemen also discovered the remains of another small fire that had been started and burned out on the fourth floor of the building.

A student residing in the residence hall revealed the names of the two students who were responsible for the fires, which led to their immediate apprehension. The two responsible students, whose names have not been released, were charged with reckless burning, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief.

At this point the students have been placed on interim suspension from the residence halls, pending the results of Connecticut College's judicial process.

Additionally, Connecticut College is cooperating with the New London Police Department in their investigation of the episode.

Fortunately for all those involved, there were no lasting consequences of the event. "This is a case where the procedures we have in place helped us manage this incident quickly and effectively," said Martin. "Thanks to the prompt response of our campus safety officers and the New London Fire Department, the fire was extinguished quickly; there were no injuries to students and very minimal damage to the building."

As of now, the New London Police Department has not released any details about a possible motive for the fires.

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