Vandal defaces Bradley fraternity house

An unknown individual vandalized the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house in the early hours of March 15.

The words “Supports Genocide” were spray painted in red on the brick wall facing the front side of the fraternity’s chapter house. This was in addition to the words “AEΠ Supports Genocide” on the front steps of Bradley Hall and “Free Palestine” on the sidewalk in front of the chapter house, all done in the same red spray paint.

Students were notified of the incident via an email from the Bradley University Police Department (BUPD). The email included Ring doorbell footage and photos of the suspect. 

BUPD assured students that there was no imminent threat to campus at the time but urged anyone with information relating to the crime to contact them, the Peoria Police Department, tip 411 or Crime Stoppers.

Following the initial BUPD email, one was sent from the Office of the President in which President Stephen Standifird stated that the university had “no tolerance for acts of bias, hatred, violence, or intimidation toward any member of our community.”

Standifird also gave a list of resources for those affected by the incident, including counseling and spiritual guidance through Hillel and Chabad and safety escorts. 

Bradley’s campus safety was also adjusted following the events. The Peoria Police Department and BUPD’s visibility and presence have increased on and around campus. 

In response to the vandalism, AEPi released a statement on their Instagram account on the day the crime occurred. Part of their statement read “The Brothers of AEPi will not be intimidated by these actions. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our Jewish identity, the campus Jewish community, and the state of Israel.” The full statement can be found on their Instagram.

During a meeting with BUPD Police Chief Brian Joschko and The Bradley Scout Copy Editor Ian Cunningham it was revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working together with BUPD to investigate. BUPD has also assigned an investigator to work on the case full-time.

The suspect faces two counts of criminal defacement hate crime and an additional count of criminal defacement.

This article will be updated as more information is released.