Two Saint Louis University students were arrested after mistaking a wedding party for a cleverly disguised group of terrorists, according to Jerry Berger’s column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
According to the Department of Public Safety, two students got into a verbal disagreement with members of a wedding reception, held at St. Francis Xavier College Church. The disagreement in the Quad I, first verbal and then physical, led to the arrest of the two SLU students.
Jack Titone, director of Public Safety, confirms the arrest but said that neither the DPS report nor the St. Louis Police Department report had any evidence that the assault had anything to do with mistaken identity or terrorism.
Berger’s column states: “The oatmeal-brained students . seemed to have confused the laughing, festively clad, multi-ethnic wedding party for a cleverly disguised cell of terrorists.”
Titone disputes the idea that this was a crime about terrorism.
“Jerry Berger’s information is about as verifiable as the person who gave it to him,” Titone said. He also questions where the idea of six students came into Berger’s column, as only two were reported and pursued by DPS.
The incident began as a heated argument, according to Titone, but escalated into physical violence.
DPS responded to Quad I where the victims were located. The students had already fled the scene.
EMS took one of the victims to the hospital where he was treated for facial injuries and reported in serious condition, Titone said.
The two students, after fleeing the scene of the crime, were located and turned over to SLPD. They were charged with Assault 3rd Degree, a misdemeanor. The University Judicial Committee and the SLPD are handling the incident.
