After police discovered a man fatally stabbed in the University Park neighborhood Tuesday morning, DPS has advised students to keep campus safety resources close at hand.
At 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday, LAPD identified a white male, 40, with multiple stab wounds on the sidewalk of Washington Boulevard and Oak Street, about a mile north of campus.
No one has been taken into custody. Police have yet to determine a motive or a description of the suspect. In an email to Annenberg Media, LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes confirmed that the death was a homicide.
In light of the attack and its proximity to campus, DPS Assistant Chief David Carlisle said to avoid staying out late alone and to utilize DPS safety resources.
“It’s not a good idea to be in areas off campus, even if it’s a public park with lighting, by yourself early in the morning. That is not unique to USC, that’s in any large urban environment, because you just never know who’s going to be out there,” Carlisle said. “And sometimes criminals are looking for an opportunity.”
Carlisle recommended students use the free shared Lyft program if they need to travel throughout the University Park area between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. The LiveSafe application also turns students’ phones into a “mobile blue light” that activates GPS trackers so DPS can travel quickly to users if they are in danger.
Though attacks like these are likely uncommon, Carlisle advised students of a few simple tips: “Stay in the DPS patrol response area, download that application on your phone, and most importantly, make smart choices.”