Texas State University golf cart reported to be stolen after being left unattended
By Sandra Sanchez
SAN MARCOS, Texas – A Texas State University golf cart has been stolen near Old Main and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry after it was left unattended by an employee to help an injured student.
A 911 call was placed on Monday at 10:24 p.m. and at 10:33 p.m., two police officers arrived on the scene. Pamela Harris, 53, is a police officer on the university campus who arrived on the scene to gather further information on the suspect.
Harris said, “We learned the Bobcat Bobbies golf cart was left unattended and still running while the student Bobcat Bobbies driver was helping an injured student exit the Chemistry Building and get down the stairs. It was during this time, the suspect stole the Bobcat Bobbies golf cart, which is valued at $6,000”.
Harris described the stolen vehicle as a white golf cart with 6 seats and an ID number of 28 in black writing on the front hood. Daniel Harding, 20, is the employee who stopped the vehicle to help the injured student when the golf cart was stolen.
“I don’t know how this could’ve happened.” Harding said. “I pulled up next to the Chemistry Building and the girl who requested the ride said she had a broken foot, so I got out of the golf cart to help her down the stairs. She had crutches and a big backpack.”
When Harding left the vehicle to help the student, he heard the sound of the engine and saw the golf cart heading to a ramp near the back of Old Main. Harding did not get a clear view of the person who stole the cart, but he said it looked like a young student.
Jack Rodriguez, 53, is a Texas State custodian who also witnessed the vehicle being stolen. He said he saw the person driving away with the cart and described him as an 18-year-old male.
Rodriguez said, “It was dark, but I saw his t-shirt was white and he had a Texas State ball cap on. He had glasses on too. He just sped off and turned right on Pleasant St.”
The police are patrolling the area near Sessom Drive and N. LBJ to locate the stolen vehicle. If you have any information, call the Texas State University police at 512-245-2323.
Shooter in San Marcos dies from a self-inflicted gun wound after leaving two victims shot and seriously injured.
By Sandra Sanchez
SAN MARCOS -- A gunman shot and hospitalized two fellow contract workers in the Undergraduate Academic Center basement at Texas State University during a chemical audit before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday morning.
On Monday at 9:50 a.m., Sgt. Daniel Benitez received a call through the emergency dispatch center at the Texas State Police Department. The caller reported a shooting at the Undergraduate Academic Center located at 614 N. Guadalupe St.
According to Benitez, the three individuals involved in the incident are all employees with Custodial Services Consulting. The suspect had been seen carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and four rounds were fired. The final shot was a self-inflicted shot to the head, confirming that the suspect turned the gun on himself and died at the scene.
“As soon as an officer showed up to the scene, we had a suspect,” Benitez said.
The shooting occurred when the employees conducted an inventory of chemical agents stored in the UAC basement where there is no type of surveillance. That area contained expensive chemicals, and it is unclear how the suspected shooter accessed the room.
Referring to the chemical agents, Benitez said, “Those chemicals could be highly expensive. A drum for any one of those types of liquids could be in the vicinity of $500 to and1,000.”
Although the identity of the suspect has not been released, Benitez said the individual was male and between the ages of 25 and 28. It has also been confirmed that the weapon used was legally purchased and registered. However, it is unclear how he brought the firearm on campus. This is because it is not allowed for employees of the University to carry firearms at work.
Referring to the CSC rules, Benitez said, “The way the contracting goes with the university is the company itself does their own background check.”
Benitez then said police are currently investigating the incident to further understand why it occurred. If you or anyone you know has additional information about this individual, then please call the police department at 512-245-2805.
Climate change enacts Texas State University students to comment on the threat of global warming
By Sandra Sanchez
SAN MARCOS -- Texas State University students are taking action to be more environmentally conscious, but they still believe that more steps must be taken around the world to slow the rate of climate change.
On Nov. 13, the annual U.N. climate summit officially ended. It was held in Glasgow, Scotland, and over 130 heads of state and government attended to discuss the threat of climate change. According to an article written by Lisa Friedman from The New York Times, the time for action is running low, and every nation should be doing much more to prevent the rise in global temperatures. This article is titled, “What Is COP26? And Other Questions About the Big U.N. Climate Summit,” and addresses how every country needs to commit to cutting emissions even more than they are currently missing.
With the concern over climate change rising, many young adults are expressing their opinions regarding climate change. Many students who attend Texas State University showed concern when asked about global warming and pollution on Earth. Julius Wong, 20-year-old fine arts major, explained how pollution has negatively affected Wong’s life.
"I have asthma, and growing up in China did not help it,” Wong said. “I rely heavily on my inhaler in specific polluted or big city locations. This really makes me passionate about our pollution issues, not just for me but those who are like me that suffer from the same thing.”
With the concern for climate change increasing amongst countries, the U.N. climate summit was considered a crucial moment for managing the threat of climate change. President Joe Biden was one of the heads of state that attended the conference, and he addressed the United States’ departure and rejoining of the Paris Agreement.
“I guess I shouldn’t apologize, but I do apologize for the fact the United States, in the last administration, pulled out of the Paris accords and put us sort of behind the eight ball,” Biden said.
Although many world leaders have made promises to create a greener Earth, The New York Times article said that countries have not done enough to avoid the impacts of climate change. The concern for a greener and cleaner environment was voiced by multiple students, and many of them are currently taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. One health care administration student, 20-year-old Madelyn Botello, shared what she has been doing in her life for the good of the environment.
“I started driving less since I got to college and try to turn out the lights when I’m not using them, and I have also started recycling,” Botello said.
Botello and Wong are not the only students who have spoken up about pollution and global warming. Sarah Sharpe, 19, said she is purchasing fewer animal products, which have been shown to negatively affect the environment by releasing methane into the atmosphere.
“I try to limit the amount of animal products like chicken, beef, and dairy products to a minimum,” Sharpe said. “I also like getting my produce locally at different local farmer’s markets.”
The U.N. climate summit seemed to be just one step in reducing the impacts of climate change, but many people believe there is much more work to be done. Texas State University student Molly Herrick, 20, said she was skeptical about how the threat of climate change was being handled.
“Nothing will change just by standing around and playing with our thumbs,” Herrick said, “If anything, they should be holding hands with the environmental scientists in order to change the future.”