Shocking moment University of Chicago student, 21, fights off robber by snatching his gun after he tried to steal her phone
A University of Chicago student bravely fought off an attacker by taking his gun after three students were robbed within minutes of each other Wednesday in one of the busiest blocks near campus.
A nearby surveillance camera captured the moment Madelyn, 21, confronted the suspect and grabbed his gun before the robber got into a getaway car with her phone.
“I’m able to get my hands on the gun… and take the magazine out of the gun, and I throw it into the bushes,” Maddi said. ABC7.
The masked attacker, seen on camera wearing a black hoodie and light-colored pants, left with his driver in a black vehicle.
Minutes before Maddi was robbed, four armed suspects approached two students and demanded property. They fled the scene in a black Infiniti car.
A University of Chicago student bravely fought off an attacker Wednesday by taking his gun after three students were robbed within minutes of each other in one of the busiest blocks near campus.
A nearby surveillance camera captures the moment Madelyn, 21, confronted the suspect and grabbed his gun before the robber got into a getaway car with her phone
The first robbery happened Wednesday around 2:50 p.m., when two students were held at gunpoint at 5640 South University Ave on the Hyde Park campus.
They complied. And the four suspects were able to get away in a four-door black Infiniti.
Five minutes later, two armed men approached Maddi and demanded her belongings as she left campus at 1367 East 56th St.
‘I was just walking home from class and I see a man in a mask coming towards me. And he kind of comes towards me and I think to myself, ‘just keep walking,’ but then we get into an argument.”
Maddi can be seen turning around, apparently asking for help from others, when the attacker flashed his gun and took her phone.
“He’s grabbing my phone,” she recalled in an interview with NBC“and I kind of pull it behind my back.”
The senior economics student said she can’t remember what happened next, but she was able to get the gun.
‘During the fight I was able to remove the magazine from his gun and threw it into a bush. But at that moment I didn’t know what I was getting.’
The masked robber looked for the magazine for a few seconds before returning to the dark-colored vehicle parked nearby.
“I think the fight certainly broke out, but I am in no way advocating resistance to armed robbery. I think it really wasn’t the right decision looking back on it,” Maddi said.
No injuries were reported and Chicago police are investigating the robbery.
“I don’t blame the campus… I don’t blame the bystanders… I don’t blame the police… they did a great job,” Maddi said.
“I think it’s just about finding the people who committed this attack because they will do it again,” she said, adding that she usually feels safe walking on campus.
The UChicago Police Department released a statement shortly after the incident, saying, “Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Do not resist an armed robbery unless absolutely necessary.
‘Avoid using mobile phones or other electronic devices on the street. When walking, try walking with a group or have a friend walk with you. There is safety in numbers,” the statement read.
Michele Rasmussen, dean of students, wrote, “UCPD and our Campus Safety Ambassadors have increased their presence in the area.”
“While the overall number of robberies in our region has decreased over the past year, we continue to take active measures to reduce crime.”