We've all heard about home invasions, but our next story is about a terrifying classroom invasion!
It happened yesterday on the ITVET compound.
Three University of Belize students were held up at gunpoint and robbed in their classroom - at around 2 in the afternoon.
The students who are all attending the faculty of engineering were inside their classroom when the 3 men - one armed with a handgun and 2 armed with sharp objects entered and demanded that they handed over their cellphones and a laptop computer.
It's a very disturbing report and the first time that we've ever reported on students being robbed inside a classroom.
Today 7news spoke with the Lecturer of Engineering - who told us that the 3 men posed as students, and they all carried knapsacks. They walked on the compound as normal and headed straight to the classroom which is located at the back of the compound.
He told us what happened next:
Jeffrey Jones - Engineering Lecturer at UB
"Well, basically, what happened is that around almost about 2 o'clock yesterday, about 3 outsiders came into the campus and robbed 3 students of their laptops and some cell phones. This was around a quarter to 2, I suspect."
Reporter
"What's the school doing about it? How did they manage to gain entry? You have a security booth."
Jeffrey Jones
"Well, they came through the back gate. We have a security booth. The young men were like students with knapsacks and everything, and for some reason, the security probably assumed that they were students. They went straight as if going to the classroom. That's where they met the student and so, by the time the security was aware, they already went with the stuff."
Monica Bodden
"So, the robbers came inside the compound dressed like-"
Jeffrey Jones
"Yes, they were like students in profile in respect to being young, having knapsacks on their backs. So, the security had no idea that they were thieves. We have a system in which we have -these students would have their identification card on them, but for some reason, that wasn't in place. So, that made it easier for the thieves."
Monica Bodden
"But to enter the compound, I don't know if my colleagues they noticed, we just entered without being stopped or asked what purpose we're coming on the compound for."
Jeffrey Jones
"Yes, that is true, and I guess that this is one of the things that sometimes you tend to wait until things happen, but that's something that needs to be strengthened. I don't know where that slipped down, but that usually is the case with respect to ID or someone in vehicle, or anyone entering the campus. The thing is that because we are sharing a campus with 2 other institutions on the same campus, it's kind of - that creates some of the difficulty. We had what was known as the campus management team to solve problems in respect to security based on the two institutions sharing the same campus. So I guess that those need to be strengthened or put in place, personnel between UB itself and ITVET. Right now, the 3 students who were robbed are going through - we have a counselor that is within UB, and the students are presently speaking with the counselor so that they can get advice. These things can be traumatizing to them, and they need to continue. So they are in a session right now with a counselor trying to deal with the whole situation."
Monica Bodden
"So the actual robbery happened inside a classroom."
Jeffrey Jones
"It actually happened inside a classroom about around almost 2. According to the students, one out of the 3 had a gun, and the other had sharp objects, a knife and so forth."
Reporter
"This must be an embarrassment to the institution. This is the first time we've heard that UB students were robbed inside a classroom during school hours."
Jeffrey Jones
"It's the first time, and we always speak to students during orientation about security; we always stress security outside of the campus moving from one campus to another. So this is the first time that it really happened. So, I guess we need to put something in place."
Reporter
"Is it totally their loss? They were robbed while in class. Will the institution meet them half- way with their loss?"
Jeffrey Jones
"Well, I can't answer that part as yet, but I think that they should have some responsibility. I cannot say whether or not that will be the case."
It is believed the assailants might have been scoping out the students prior to the incident from behind Huesner Crescent - a street located at the back of the building.
Today we were told that the students are presently undergoing counseling sessions.
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