What happened? Q & A on the investigation into student’s murder
Vasha Hunt | Opelika-Auburn News
Auburn fire fighters and police investigate a car fire that occurred Tuesday night off Lem Morrison Drive on Auburn University’s campus. The car was registered to AU freshman Lauren Burk, who was found shot at a separate location, and later died at EAMC.
What happened?
At 9:08 p.m. Tuesday, Auburn police responded to a report of a female lying in the roadway on Alabama Highway 147 (North College Street) between U.S. Highway 280 and Farmville Baptist Church, according to Auburn police. When police arrived, they discovered Lauren A. Burk, 18, an Auburn University freshman from Marietta, Ga., had suffered a single gunshot wound. Police did not release the location of Burk’s gunshot wound.
Burk was transported to East Alabama Medical Center where she was pronounced dead Tuesday night, according to EAMC Public Relations Manager John Atkinson. Atkinson was unable to provide the time of Burk’s death.
Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide, Auburn police Capt. Tom Stofer said Wednesday afternoon. “We are considering it a murder at this point.”
Related incident:
At 9:27 p.m. Tuesday, Auburn fire and police responded to a report of a vehicle fire in the Hinton Field parking lot on Lem Morrison Drive on the Auburn University campus.
The vehicle, a 2001 black Honda Civic, was registered to Burk, according to a release from Auburn police.
When firefighters arrived, the front of the vehicle was “heavily involved” in flames, according to Auburn Fire Division Acting Chief Lee Lamar. The fire appeared to have started somewhere inside the vehicle, according to Auburn fire Battalion Chief Matt Jordan. The cause of the fire, however, has not been determined, Lamar said.
Are there any suspects?
Police were specifically asked if there was a suspect in the murder. “At this time, we have not identified or named a suspect,” Stofer said.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Auburn police Assistant Chief Tommy Dawson would not say who had been brought in for questioning. “We don’t have a suspect at this time,” Dawson said.
Related to Slesinski case?
Auburn police are not connecting the murder of Burk to the case of Lori Ann Slesinski, 24, an Auburn University graduate who has been missing since June 2006, Dawson said Wednesday. Less than a week after Slesinski was reported missing, her vehicle, a blue 2005 Mazda Tribute, was found on fire in the roadway of DeKalb Street.
Staff writer Amy Weaver also contributed to this article.
Reader Reactions
To AUMOM08, the prime reason for AU Alert was for the benefit of people ON campus who suddenly find themselves in the midst of an imminent life-threatening circumstance that requires them to take immediate action for their safety, like an active shooter, an explosive device, or some other grave danger. It is a means to lock down the campus quickly so that Public Safety can respond to the threat while minimizing casualties.
I have a daughter in college as well. If something happens on her campus, the FIRST thing I want to happen is that SHE gets to safety. AU Alert is for those in harm’s way.
At the time of car burning, the deadly act had been completed and the criminal had left the scene. Once the campus was secure from any further acts of violence from this criminal, the immediate danger to students had already subsided when police discovered the burning car on campus.
To answer your question about the danger to students, faculty, and staff, there will ALWAYS be a danger of harm so long as the campus is accessible to the public. This criminal could have returned the next night to do this again, even amid increased patrols and so could any other person. What would you have the University do? Lock down the campus and so NO ONE ENTERS who isn’t student, faculty, or staff? That
isn’t going to happen. You can walk or ride onto campus anytime you wish 24-hours a day. If you are in a student housing area, you will probably be stopped by the police. This criminal was the same age as college seniors. How would you identify him as a potential murderer among 24,000 students? Do you want to set up check-points and require IDs? The Students would not put up with that and I don’t blame them.
This criminal act is not the fault of the police or the University. It is the fault of one evil person who was able to move in a free society to strike at his victim and kill her. He alone is to blame.
You complain about a lack of notification. At the point when the car was discovered burning, you have a point that when the two events were connected, AU Alert would have sent out the notification to lock down the campus until the all-clear is given by Police and Administrators. On this I will agree with you. As far as what constitutes “danger”? That will mean different things to different people. Perhaps there should be a forum set up by the University so that we parents can ask these very questions to the University and Police. I will be there if they do.
Are we really all so nieve to believe nothing has ever happened on this campus? When I was a student, I cant tell you how many times I went to a club or a party and pulled out a friend who was drugged for who knows what aweful things, and these are at downtown clubs like Bodegas and a club where Skybar is now. luckily I didnt drink and took care of my friends. Do you honestly think that it is safe to jog on this campus alone at night, or walk to night classes without anyone? Never, Never think you are safe. Even Mayberry had a sheriff for a reason. In no way is this tragedy Lauren’s fault, but we are all shocked that something like this could happen in Auburn and shocked that our children aren’t in the safe bubble we thought they were. We cannot blame the police, they have over thirty detectives working on finding a killer; thirty people! (so that our children may put their blinders back on?) We must always be aware of ourselves and keep our own personal safety in mind.
AUmom, I understand how you feel but I cant help but think that the cops know what they are doing. Remember that we don’t know the whole story. It will probably come out that it was not a random act of violence. Trust the police and University officials.
Is it possible that the FBI participation is because the case of missing Lori Ann Slesinski has similarities to Lauren Burk’s murder? FBI doesn’t usually come in on a single case.
As a parent of a student at Auburn, I am very displeased in the manner in which this situation was handled. How can anyone “assume” the students were not in danger, when one had been found shot? It is better to err on the side of safety. Someone should be held accountable for students and parents not being notified earlier. What is the point of AU alert we all signed up for it we are not going to be notified. A car was burned on campus,that belonged to a student they had just found shot and they didn’t feel our kids were in danger. What constitutes danger?
It was only a matter of time before this kind of thing happened at our beloved Auburn. In the light of all the violence just this past year on college campuses across the country, ALL students and faculty should be aware of their surrondings and alert at all times for the safety of everyone. My prayers go out to Lauren’s family and friends. This has touched all of Auburn.
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