UPenn Student Injured in Shooting

A sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, Mari Oishi, was shot and injured on campus early on the morning of Jan. 15 after walking past what local police have called a failed armed robbery.

A stray bullet hit Oishi in her left thigh as an unknown gunman struggled with two men over the keys to a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster. She was immediately transported to the Penn hospital and was released later that day, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian, the university’s student paper.

Michael Barrett, 31, and Robert Keith, 24, were also shot in the incident. Both men were treated for gunshot wounds and were released. Neither is affiliated with the university.

The attempted robbery occurred between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. last Sunday morning near the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity house, according to Reuben Cohen, a sophomore at the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The Daily Pennsylvanian’s report explained that Oishi had attended a party at the fraternity. After leaving the party and walking north on 38th Street, Oishi and her friends heard several gunshots fired. They quickly returned to the fraternity house, at which time Oishi’s friends noticed her injury, the paper reported.

“I was sitting in a room with some friends in the house when I heard six to eight gunshots,” Cohen said. “You could easily tell they were gunshots. And, shortly after, one of my friends in the house came in with” Oishi.

The other two victims were returning to their car from a fashion show when they were approached by two men, one of whom hit Barrett several times in the stomach, Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Keith, who came to his aid, was shot once in the arm, the paper said. The police reported that both were taken to the hospital and were in critical but stable condition.

The gunman was last seen fleeing down Samsom Street near campus. The other assailant has not yet been identified. Both of the victims have criminal records and are awaiting trial on unrelated charges, according to the paper.

The incident marked the second shooting on the Penn campus this past month. On Dec. 25, a local man was shot and killed at the Philly Diner, a popular student hangout.

But some students say they still generally feel safe on campus.

“It can be dangerous around the campus, but unless you’re walking around at 4 a.m. or a ridiculous hour, I feel pretty safe,” said Philip Morgan, a freshman at the university’s Wharton business school.

Audrey Pahmer, another freshman at Wharton, said she felt safe as long as she remained with other students.

“There are many security guards out especially at night,” she said, “so if you use common sense and travel in groups and avoid dangerous streets, it’s really fine.”