Two sent to hospital after incident near PSU allegedly involving fraternity

Parents of victim speak out

Zachary Dodge by Zachary Dodge

According to police records, an assault happened at 1900 South Broadway in Pittsburg at 1:30 A.M. on Sunday the 15th.

Two people, 21-year-old Dylan Lawrence, and 20-year-old Allan Wilkinson, who is a Pitt State student, were the victims.

The Pittsburg Police Department is currently investigating.

KOAM reached out to officials with Pittsburg State University, who confirmed there was an incident, but didn’t comment otherwise.

“The alleged incident occurred off-campus, not on PSU property but at a private residence. The University has received reports and is investigating whether students were involved.

“If students were found to be involved, we would hold them accountable based on our student conduct code,” said Jason Kegler, assistant vice president of Student Life, the division that includes University Housing. ‘The safety of our students and our community is our number one priority,'” says the university in a statement.

Now, one of the victims and his parents are speaking out.

“If this is what it takes for this campus to finally realize that it has some issues to make it a safer place, I hope this will do it,” says Dylan Lawrence, one of the victims in the alleged assault. “I was at a place where I thought I knew people, where I thought that I was safe. I went with no intention of harming anybody.. and here I am now.”

Dylan’s parents, Nick and Krista Lawrence, say from what they’ve heard the root of the issue is a dispute between the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and another fraternity on campus.

“Something was painted on Sig Ep’s house and there was another fraternity that was blamed for it,” says Krista. “I know that our kid didn’t have anything to do with the painting.”

Nick and Krista say Dylan tried to keep an altercation from happening between the two fraternities on Sunday.

After things were talked out, they say Dylan was shoved by a person that was intoxicated and then hit in the side of the head and knocked out.

All of this happening outside of the Sigma Phi Epsilon annex house.

“From what we’ve been told, then the fraternity brothers or whoever was on the front porch of the house came out and proceeded to kick and hit Dylan while he was on the ground,” says Nick.

“So about six to ten people on top of him.. hitting and kicking. Allan tried to stop the kids that were hitting and kicking Dylan, Alan got hit, in the side of the face also,” adds Krista.

They say Dylan and Allan were then taken to Via Christi hospital for broken jaws, and Dylan is at KU Medical Center in Kansas City for a tear in his airway.

“They’re all keeping names hush-hush, they’re trying to protect their fraternity brothers and all that stuff,” Nick explains. “I think the Pittsburg Police Department is doing the best they can with what the hands they’re dealt because most people that they have talked to are withholding information.”

“Even though there was, I don’t know, twenty-thirty people witnessing all of these events, it seems that nobody knew anybody. They were all just partying there with a bunch of strangers apparently,” says Krista. “It’s frustrating cause if it happened this time, then I can’t imagine that it hasn’t happened before, and if they get away with it, will it happen again?”

Now, they hope that someone will come forward with the truth so something can be done.

“I’d like to see them do something about it,” says Dylan. “I’d like to see them quit trying to hide it and actually get to the bottom of it.”

Nick and Krista say they reached out to the University and the University Police Department on Monday the 16th, but have yet to hear anything more from them.

We reached out to Sigma Phi Epsilon, who referred us to their national spokesperson.

Their spokesperson says, ” We are aware of an altercation between individuals and are gathering information about the situation. Our chapter is fully cooperating with the authorities as they look into this matter.”

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