Several cars vandalized at TWU apartment complex
Over the past two days, the windows of a several cars in Denton were shot out with what police believe was a pellet or BB gun.
An early morning scare on Wednesday at Texas Woman’s University put students and officers on high alert.
Just before 5 a.m. while responding to a report at the Lowry woods complex on the TWU campus, a university police officer's vehicle was fired at with what's believed to be a BB or pellet gun.
“The officer in the car patrolling, he heard some pinging noises off of his car. Then he was lasered with a red light,” explained TWU Public Safety Chief Elizabeth Pauley. “They missed our window by about an inch. Seemed like they were aiming at windows.”
University police called Denton police for backup. And while going after the suspects, a Denton officer had the back window of her vehicle shot out.
Four other student vehicles in the parking lot of the Lowry woods complex were also damaged. But students say they weren't notified until several hours after the incident.
“Didn't have anyone come check on us. We knew nothing about this,” said one student. “I would've at least liked to have been put on lockdown or sent a message to go in the inner parts of my apartment to stay away from the windows.”
University reps say they didn't send out an alert because the suspects had already left campus and determined there was no immediate threat.
Meanwhile, Denton police say they have a person of interest they're speaking with and are looking into whether this incident is related to another one just days before on the 900 block of Panhandle Street where 18 cars were also damaged.
This was not the only Denton police car that was vandalized this week. Denton police are dealing with another report where a unit was spray painted with profanity. But officers say that's a completely different incident and don't believe that's related.
Police said they do not believe their cars were specifically targeted in the latest incident because other cars were damaged as well.