A 22-year-old Lakehead University student is in hospital with critical head injuries after a confrontation with party crashers trying to gain entry to a Darwin Court home early Sunday morning.
Thunder Bay Police say the uninvited guests, at least some of whom are believed to be fellow Lakehead students, were denied entry to the party. After being told to leave, two party guests followed after them into the street and a fight escalated.
The unidentified victim, who is from southern Ontario, was found lying injured on Newton Street, a block west of the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
Police spokesman Chris Adams said they are trying to fill in the blanks of what happened.
"It doesn’t appear any weapons were involved. It just appears to be a confrontation that just kept escalating," Adams said. "Alcohol may have been involved as well."
Adams said investigators have information tying the alleged perpetrators to Lakehead University, though Adams said it’s part of the investigation and could not release why they believe it to be the case.
"That’s hold-back evidence," he said.
Adams added investigators said the school and its security division are co-operating with the investigation.
One suspect had darker coloured skin. A second suspect wore a Carhartt jacket; a third was tall and thin with long brown hair; the fourth had blond spiked hair with average height and wore a blue hoodie; the final suspect had curly hair and a beard.
"They’re all said to be Caucasian in their early 20s and all with a fairly average build. I think one had a tall, skinny build. But in a situation like this, when you have more than one assailant involved of this size, people know what happened and we’re hoping someone comes forward with information to help investigators identify who these individuals are," Adams said.
Late Monday afternoon school officials released a statement seeking public assistance finding the alleged suspects.
"Lakehead University is extremely concerned to learn that a student was badly injured during an altercation which took place at a north-side residence over the weekend," the statement reads. "Any community members who may have witnessed this serious assault are strongly encouraged to aid in the investigation by contacting the Thunder Bay Police or Crime Stoppers at 623-TIPS."
Lakehead University Student Union president Michael Snoddon said he was shocked to learn of the incident and said he and other LUSU members intend to visit the victim in hospital to drop off flowers and wish him well.
Snoddon said he's encouraging witnesses to come forward.
"We're also asking for students to not be afraid of going to police, even if they were attending the party or whatnot, to aid the investigation. We take a strong stance against violence, any type of violence," he said.
He added there are counselling services available on campus for any students who have been affected by the incident.
