Campus residents woke abruptly to alarms and sirens early Sunday, April 18. A mass of first-year students in their robes and slippers evacuated their dorms and poured into the street. After a long period of fear and confusion, students were informed that this was not a drill, a fire was started in Marian Hall.
Shortly before 2:30 a.m. April 18, the La Crosse Fire Department was dispatched to Marian Hall. According to Viterbo campus security, a fire was started in the second-floor lounge of Marian by Victoria Unanka and was extinguished swiftly by Kaleb Peterson, campus security officer, via a handheld extinguisher. The lounge sprinkler systems failed to detect the smoke, and the alarm was manually pulled by this same student.
In an ongoing investigation, Unanka, accepted as a victim of recent hate crimes on campus, faces a felony charge of arson as well as negligent handling of burning materials, a misdemeanor offense, by the LCPD. She has also been suspended and her belongings removed from Viterbo University.
The events of this incident are noted in a full police report conducted by officer Daniel Howe of the LCPD. In the report, Unanka, identified via surveillance footage, left her room at 2:09 a.m., entered the lounge, then the bathroom, into the lounge again, before returning to her room at 2:12 a.m. Images of smoke were visible around 2:14 a.m. and Unanka is seen pounding on residents’ doors and later pulling the fire alarm at 2:15 a.m.
No students were injured, though notable irritations due to smoke inhalation have been reported by residents with asthma. The police report stated the damage to the lounge was purely cosmetic, including a burnt wall and melted spot on the carpet. Physical Plant workers have since repainted the damaged wall and replaced the sections of melted carpet.
A student support session was held later that Sunday; it was led by Megan Pierce and LeeAnn Van Vreede. During this session, students were encouraged to share their feelings and air their grievances. Students at this session argued that Viterbo did not ensure their safety earlier that morning. Students wanted to know why the sprinkler system had failed and whether or not this was an accident. Two students at this session noted that they had slept through the entire event and were oblivious to the situation unfolding outside their doors.
Answers to all these concerns have yet to be shared by the university; however, the investigations are still ongoing. According to an email from President Glena Temple, Unanka is being processed in accordance with the student handbook and the LCPD. An FBI trained and certified forensic handwriting analyst has been contracted to analyze the racist messages left on Unanka’s door. The specialist will also be looking to determine any connection between Sunday’s fire and previous hate crimes.
University officials encouraged all students, in any way effected by these events, to reach out to counseling services. Officials also recognized the real presence of hate in our society and emphasized that the Viterbo community will work as “active agents of change in our community.” Temple also stated, “The events and the sessions that followed remind us that we must actively and continually work to strengthen the inclusive and welcoming environment at Viterbo.”
The Lumen will continue with updates as this story develops.
