November 21 - 6:45 p.m. Update

It is with great sorrow that we must inform you this evening of the passing of sophomore Jacob Marberger. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Marberger family in their time of unimaginable grief.

This is a terrible blow to our community, and the outpouring of compassion and support we have shown each other will help us through this difficult time. We need to continue to be supportive of each other as we mourn individually and as a community.

We will have counseling services on-hand when students return to campus; more details will be forthcoming. 

If you need to speak to someone to help you through this process immediately, please contact your local crisis services.

  

November 20 - 2:00 p.m. Update

Classes remain cancelled until November 30.

The law enforcement investigation is still ongoing. They continue ask that anyone who has contact with Jacob notify law enforcement immediately.

We appreciate the support of our community, the generosity and concern of Chestertown residents, and the patience of our students, parents, faculty, and staff during this difficult time.

President Bair and WC students were interviewed by the Washington Post about the situation on campus and the ongoing search for Jacob. You can read that story here: http://wapo.st/1l9jQrj

Students should continue to be alert for email communications from their professors.

Essential personnel should continue to come to campus, and all other staff and faculty to work remotely as much as is feasible. 

We will continue to update the Washington College community with information as it becomes available.

  

November 19 - 12:00 p.m. Update

Classes remain cancelled until November 30.

Shuttles are running to get students still in the Chestertown area to transit hubs on the western shore of Maryland. We will run as many vehicles as required to serve all student transportation needs to these locations. Any students with transportation questions should contact scrump2@washcoll.edu.

Students should continue to be alert for email communications from their professors.

Essential personnel should continue to come to campus, and all other staff and faculty are asked to work remotely as much as is feasible.

We reiterate that there has been no direct threat to campus or the Chestertown area. Law enforcement continues their investigation. They continue to ask that anyone who has contact with Jacob notify law enforcement immediately. 

We will continue to update the Washington College community with information as it becomes available. You can expect another update tomorrow unless there are any new developments.

    

November 18 - 3:00 p.m. Update

A Message from Washington College President Sheila C. Bair

Following the difficult events of the past few days, Washington College will be canceling classes this week and the week of Thanksgiving Break. Based on our continuing consultations with law enforcement, we anticipate that classes will resume on Monday, November 30th. The college campus will re-open on Sunday, November 29th. Students should plan on returning to campus on that day. 

While classes are canceled until November 30th, students should be alert to email communications from their professors with instructions pertaining to continued progress in their courses.

All residential students have either returned home or been taken in by members of the campus and Chestertown community. We are deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, and residents of Chestertown for opening their homes and their hearts to dozens of our students.

We will continue to update the Washington College community with information as it becomes available.

Sheila C. Bair President

  

November 17 - 3:00 p.m. Update

Classes for Wednesday, November 18 are cancelled. Faculty and staff should await notice from the administration regarding returning to campus.

A small number of students remain on campus at this time and arrangements will be made by the end of today for them to seek shelter in the Washington College community. To the many local residents, parents and alumni who have offered to take in students, you have Washington College’s thanks.

Again, we have not had any direct threats against campus or any members of our community, but in the interest in caution we feel closing campus until the situation changes is the best course of action. Anyone who has contact with Jacob should contact law enforcement immediately by reaching out to Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

  

November 17 - 1:45 p.m. Update

As of 1:00PM we have 59 students on campus who have not been able to leave for home. We continue to work toward finding housing options for these students. All other students have been able to leave campus.

We want to thank the community for the outreach of support and offers of housing for students who are unable to return home. You have Washington College’s thanks.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

  

November 17 - 10:30 a.m. Update

Dear Campus Community:

In the interest of safety and in light of the ongoing law enforcement investigation, Washington College will be closed until further notice. Anyone who is currently off-campus should remain off-campus.

There will be a Washington College staff member shortly in the residence hall to check you out before you leave. All students who can leave campus and return home should do so after they check in with the WC staff member. Students who live off-campus should stay in their off-campus housing or return home. Students who are unable to return home should attempt to travel with a friend if possible, or should stay in their residence hall room until further arrangements can be made.

Faculty and nonessential staff who are on campus should leave campus and return to their homes; anyone who is off campus should stay off campus until further notice. They should continue to monitor their email, the website, and WACAlerts for updates in the coming days as this situation unfolds.

Any afternoon or evening events are cancelled until further notice.

Once again, we have not had any direct threats against campus or any members of our community, but in the interest in caution we feel closing campus until the situation changes is the best course of action. Anyone who has contact with Jacob should contact law enforcement immediately.

We will continue to update the community throughout the day as the situation evolves.

  

November 17 - 9:45 a.m. Update

Dear Campus Community:

In the interest of caution and due to new information received from law enforcement at 9:15 this morning, we have decided to cancel classes. We did not have this information yesterday evening when the decision to reopen campus was made.

There is a warrant out for Jacob Marberger’s arrest, and a high-intensity search is being conducted by state and federal law enforcement.

All students should return to their residence halls immediately. Students who live off campus should return to their off-campus residences. More details will follow.

Faculty and staff should return to their offices or remain in their offices until further notice.

We would like to reiterate that we have not had any direct threats against campus or any members of our community, but in the interest in caution we feel closing campus until the situation changes is the best course of action. Anyone who has contact with Jacob should contact law enforcement immediately.

We will continue to update the community throughout the day as the situation evolves.

  

---

  

November 16 - 9:15 p.m. Update

Dear Washington College Community:

We have received some concerns about opening campus tomorrow and wish to reassure our campus community. 

Today’s action to close the campus was a precautionary measure to allow time for assessment. However, given the lack of direct threat to campus or any Washington College community members, we feel that opening the campus tomorrow morning is the right decision. We have had extensive consultation throughout the day with law enforcement, and we will have extra police presence on campus tonight assigned to Washington College.

We appreciate that some students may feel anxious about resuming their normal schedules. We’ve asked faculty to be flexible regarding class attendance and not penalize students for their absence. Students who wish to remain in their residence halls tomorrow should feel free to do so. For members of the campus community who need emotional support, the Office of Counseling will be open tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.

Administrative offices will be open and all staff should report to campus tomorrow.

As a continued precautionary measure, there will be a heightened Public Safety and law enforcement presence on campus tonight and tomorrow. We continue to work closely with local, county, and state law enforcement to ensure campus safety, and will keep you informed as the investigation continues. We ask our community to be aware of their surroundings and vigilant toward any disturbances. 

If any students need immediate support, we still encourage them to contact Public Safety directly.

We’d like to reiterate that if there are any changes to the campus situation during the night, the community will be notified via the WACAlert system.

 

November 16 - 4:55 p.m. Update

After consultation with local, county, and state law enforcement agencies, the College plans to resume normal operations tomorrow morning starting at 8:30 am. Dining Hall operations will resume at 7:30 am.

Shelter in place will continue throughout the night.

Law enforcement will continue to have a presence on campus and will work with the College to ensure student safety. There has been no evidence of a direct threat against individuals or the campus community as a whole, but the College and law enforcement ask everyone to be cautious and vigilant.

If there are any changes during the night, campus will be notified via the WACAlerts system. 

For members of the campus community who need support, the Office of Counseling will be open tomorrow morning at 8:00 am. If students need immediate support, we encourage them to contact Public Safety.

The law enforcement investigation is ongoing and Jacob Is still considered a missing person. We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 3:10 p.m. Update

We have tentatively planned for afternoon and evening meal services between 4:30pm and 8:30pm.  As with the earlier meal service, we are asking students to wait until instructed by Public Safety and their Resident Assistants in order to receive food.

The College remains closed and resident students are to continue to shelter in place unless instructed otherwise.

The law enforcement investigation is still ongoing and Jacob Is still considered a missing person.

We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 2:10 p.m. Update

Most students have been fed at this time but Public Safety continues to work with resident assistants to manage this process to ensure that all students have something to eat. Plans to provide a second round of food late this afternoon and evening are underway.

The law enforcement investigation is still ongoing and Jacob is still considered a missing person.

Staff is working toward resuming normal operations but we continue to ask students to shelter in place.

We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 1:10 p.m. Update

The distribution of meals to resident students is underway under the guidance of Public Safety. We thank all of the students for their cooperation and continue to ask them to follow the instructions of Public Safety and their Resident Assistants. Resident students are to continue to shelter in place unless instructed otherwise.

Law enforcement is continuing their investigation on campus. We will update the campus community as soon as we have word from them.

As previously announced, campus will remain closed for the day, and all afternoon and evening events are cancelled.

We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 12:00 p.m. Update

Public Safety is working to ensure all resident students are able to get meals in an orderly fashion and as quickly as possible. We ask all students to follow the instructions of Public Safety and their Resident Assistants, and to continue to shelter in place unless instructed otherwise.

Campus will remain closed for the day, and all afternoon and evening events are cancelled.

Law enforcement continues their investigation, and is still treating this as a missing persons case. We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 10:55 a.m. Update

We are waiting for law enforcement to complete their investigation of campus.

We are planning on being able to feed students already on campus. The exact schedule is pending.

Students may move around within their residence halls and use restrooms and showers but at this point should still remain in their residence halls. Off-campus students, faculty, and staff should still not come on campus.

We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 9:55 a.m. Update

Chestertown Police Department has released the following information – Jacob is currently considered a missing person. He is a while male, 5’4”, 130lbs, with brown curly hair. He was last seen driving a 1997 dark green Range Rover with Pennsylvania tag beginning with “JWY”.

At the request of law enforcement to facilitate a search of their buildings, residents in the Cecil, Dorchester, and Talbot Residence Halls are being moved from their dorms to the Hodson Hall Commons.

The Chestertown Police Department, Kent County Sheriff’s Department, and Maryland State Police are on campus and monitoring the situation in conjunction with campus Public Safety.

We continue to ask anyone with information about Jacob to please contact the Chestertown Police at 410-778-1800 or Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 8:50 a.m. Update

We continue to ask students and staff on campus to shelter in place, and request that anyone off campus please stay away until the situation changes.

Jacob is believed to still be in Pennsylvania, but if you have any contact with him, please notify Public Safety at 410-778-7810.

  

November 16 - 7:32 a.m. Update

We received notification early this morning from the parents of sophomore Jacob Marberger that he had returned home and retrieved a firearm. The parents have not been able to reach him and do not know where he is or where is he is headed.

Due to an abundance of caution the college has decided to close campus for the time being and asks all students and staff on campus to shelter in place. Anyone off campus should stay away from campus until further notice.

Public Safety has requested and received support from local law enforcement who are now on campus. A sweep of the parking lots and campus buildings is being conducted.

Updates will be shared as they become available. 

If you have any contact with Jacob please notify Public Safety at 410-778-7810.