By Roxy Osborne
University of Louisville students were sent a series of RAVE alerts regarding a robbery that occurred at university affiliated housing The Brexx, formerly known as The Retreat, on Sept. 14. According to the alerts, four individuals wearing ski masks stole property before fleeing.
This incident comes during a time where students are voicing concerns with how safety threats are handled on campus. Notably, the Louisville Cardinal reported four sexual assaults since the school year started with no RAVE alerts sent out to notify students and staff. An attempted kidnapping that occurred in front of University Tower Apartments on Sept. 3 also lacked emailed safety warnings.
The university-provided Clery Records give insight into how violent the robbery was. The report states the victims were held at gunpoint while being robbed. One individual was struck in the head with the handle of one of the guns used by the robbers.
At 5:44 a.m., the first RAVE alert was sent out informing individuals that ULPD was on the scene of a reported robbery. Seven minutes later, a more elaborate message was sent out. The email is as follows:
“On September 14, 2025, at approximately 4:52 AM, ULPD received a call about a robbery that had just occurred in the 400 block of Brohm Street (The Brexx at Louisville Affiliated Property). The victims state that four individuals in ski masks demanded property and fled the scene. The suspects fled westbound toward 7th Street. ULPD is investigating. Please avoid the area.”
Nearly two hours after the initial alert, an all clear email was sent out at 7:48 a.m.
When asked about the robbery, Interim Vice President of Communications and Marketing John Karman stated that the case was “active and remains under investigation.”
It is unclear if the choice to send out three RAVE alerts is the direct result of criticism towards the lack of alerts this semester. In a previous interview with The Louisville Cardinal, Karman stated that they are reserved for instances of “ongoing threats.” The attempted kidnapping and sexual assaults reported earlier this semester did not fall under these parameters, according to Karman.
U of L’s safety program, CardSafe, has a website detailing strategies to keep yourself safe while traveling on campus. Their page can be found here.
The Louisville Cardinal submitted an open records request for more details regarding the robberies. This story will be updated with more information when those records are received.
File photo / The Louisville Cardinal
