When Evan Schumacher went for a night out in Aggieville, he never expected to find himself in the middle of a crime scene.
“Me and my friend were just walking back to our car on the sidewalk outside Aggieville and we heard pops,” Schumacher, freshman in business, said. “We didn’t know what it was. We thought it was construction or something.”
Schumacher said it quickly became clear the pops he heard were gunshots.
“Not too long after a bunch of cop lights and sirens were just going crazy coming towards Aggieville,” Schumacher said. “Me and my friend went to check it out in our car and there were tons of cops with rifles outside.”
Officers from the Riley County Police Department heard and responded to multiple gunshots in the 1100 block of Laramie Street shortly before 2 a.m. on Aug. 20 according to an RCPD news release.
The victim, a 35-year-old woman, was hospitalized for her injuries. Her condition remains unknown.
Schumacher said patrons in Aggieville seemed surprisingly calm after the shooting.
“There were tons of groups of people outside on the sidewalk just casually walking away from the scene,” Schumacher said.
Ciara Waugh, human resources and operations director of Acme, said the shooting doesn’t pose a threat to Aggieville businesses.
“Things happen in any and all cities with the amount of people in the area,” Waugh said. “I don’t think [Manhattan is] unique in that situation. We’re still plenty safe and RCPD is just down the way and they’re always around. We feel pretty safe here.”
Waugh said the shooter didn’t appear to be targeting Aggieville.
“Upon seeing the victim was a 35-year-old female I understood pretty quickly that it was very likely more of a domestic situation than an Aggieville-specific situation,” Waugh said.
Aaron Wintermote, public information officer for RCPD, said the best way to stay safe in Aggieville is to be alert.
“Always stay vigilant and make sure you’re aware of your surroundings,” Wintermote said. “Keep your weapons at home if you’re going out to Aggieville. That’s always the best thing to do.”
The shooting remains under investigation. To share information, pictures or video regarding the shooting, contact RCPD at 785-537- 2112.
