Holy Cross student assaulted near Notre Dame

South Bend Police are searching for the suspects who attacked a Holy Cross student early Sunday morning.

It happened on South Bend Avenue blocks away from Notre Dame.

“If you walk out here at night it does feel a bit dark and a bit lonely,” Notre Dame Freshman Ignacio Gonzalez said.

It is a dangerous combination that may have led to the attack of a sophomore Holy Cross student.

Around 2 a.m. Sunday,  police said a student was walking near the intersection of South Bend Avenue and Howard Street when he was attacked by unknown suspects.

Police said the suspects dragged the Holy Cross student into the middle of the street, kicked him in the face and struck him over the head with a hand gun.

The attack is causing concern among Holy Cross faculty and Notre Dame students who walk these streets every day.

“We're very concerned about the safety and security of our students. We've been taking deliberate measures, especially since the episodes in the fall, to get more information out to them and to increase the safety in our area and to make them more away of safety concerns outside of our area,” Holy Cross Vice President of Student Affairs Kelly Jordan said.

“It's pretty concerning. I usually feel safe when I'm on campus but I know when me and my buddies are off campus we try to keep a higher guard up because a lot of people have run into trouble around campus,” Notre Dame Junior Keenan Kelley explained.

Despite the recent attack, students expressed an overall sense of safety.

But students said the university could make improvements, such as increasing lighting and communication when these incidents happen.

“I think campus itself is lit pretty well. But some of the surrounding areas, even just a block or so off campus could perhaps use a bit better lighting, more emergency lights, things of that sort,” said Notre Dame Junior Leighton Peters.

“The students should be kept aware of this so that we can be aware of what's happening around us even though its not directly on campus. It's right off campus and a lot of people go out so they should probably know what's happening,” Notre Dame Freshman Catarina Daldro said.

Holy Cross urges students to follow a few basic safety tips to keep them out of harm's way: travel in groups, travel in well lit areas, and take advantage of Holy Cross and Notre Dame's Safe Ride program, which operates every day school is in session between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Right now no one has been arrested in connection to this assault.

Anyone with information should call the South Bend Police Department.