Hayley Parker ‘19
Student Writer
One former Merrimack College student and one current student have been charged after malicious activity occurred on campus over the weekend.
Merrimack College police were able to retrieve surveillance video of Aram Smith, and Jacob Olson after the two vandalized two dozen parked cars, a dormitory sign, exit sign, and stadium bleachers after drinking alcohol on Saturday night.
According to the Eagle Tribune, the two men were charged on 25 counts of malicious damage and were released after their arraignments in Lawrence District Court.
Smith is a current student athlete at Merrimack and Olson is a former student who was placed on academic supervision after completing under two years at Merrimack, according to the Eagle Tribune.
College spokesman, James Chiavelli commented on the incidents as “an outrageous and senseless spree of deliberate damage to property of students and the college.”
Merrimack students were not happy to hear the news of the vandalism that occured as they woke Sunday morning. Students assembled in Lot K the morning after to check if their cars had been scratched with a key.
The first section of Lot K was hit the hardest with an estimated 40 cars being scratched and drawn on. Senior, Olivia Nicholson was among the many students whose cars were vandalised.
“I came out to my car Sunday morning with the parking lot full of people looking at their cars,” Nicholson said. “Someone told me my car was keyed, and when I walked over I saw the back of my car was vandalised.” Nicholson added that she was “shocked” that one of her peers would do this.
Since the incident, Merrimack College served Smith with a letter of interim suspension. Merrimack college police managed the situation quickly and thoroughly to give victims answers the following days.
