University Police advises the UTRGV community to sign up for a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training after an altercation during Spring Break involving a firearm on the Harlingen campus.
The altercation occurred around 8 a.m. March 14 and was initially reported to University Police as a minor vehicle collision, according to Assistant Chief of Police Van Slusser.
Upon further investigation, University Police discovered the vehicle collision was the tail end of an argument in which a non-affiliated man allegedly pointed a pistol at two non-affiliated individuals in the parking lot in front of the Veterans Affairs Clinic on the Harlingen campus.
Upon discovering the individual was armed, Slusser said the first priority for University Police was the safety of the campus and the community, whether that included non-affiliated visitors, students, faculty or staff.
UTRGV subsequently sent out an emergency notification advising those in the area to shelter in place.
โWhen we arrived on scene, it was unknown where โฆ the suspect [was],โ the assistant chief said. โSo, our first step was to try to locate where he was and thatโs why โฆ out of an abundance of caution, we had everyone who was on the Harlingen campus shelter in place while we conducted a search of the campus to make sure that that individual was not there.โ
University Police received assistance from outside agencies, including the Harlingen Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The assistant chief said while conducting the search, officers were able to determine the non-affiliated man was not on campus and was later found at his residence in McAllen.
University Police officers arrested 51-year-old Leonardo Ondoy on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for each of the involved individuals, Slusser said. Ondoy was arraigned March 15 in Cameron County. Bond was set at $20,000 for each count.
The Rider filed a public information request Friday to obtain a copy of the police report and the probable cause affidavit. Under the Texas Public Information Act, UTRGV must promptly produce the requested records within 10 business days, unless it seeks an attorney generalโs opinion.
โThe case hasnโt gone to trial and a disposition in court hasnโt been made,โ Slusser said. โSo, weโre still a long way from that. The next steps will be for our investigative work, our case filed, to be presented to the District Attorneyโs Office and then theyโll start the steps of all the stuff that happens in court. Theyโll set a time for initial appearances and pleadings, and it takes a long time to work its way through the court system.โ
Officers are no longer actively investigating the case, according to the assistant chief.
Slusser said the altercation โhighlightsโ how anything can happen at any time.
โWe really urge the campus community to be prepared,โ he said. โOne of the ways they can prepare themselves for something like this is attending one of our CRASE trainings, which we offer periodically all throughout the year.โ
Slusser said the trainings can prepare an individual for emergency situations.
โEven though this case was not one involving an active shooter, [CRASE trainings] detail what you can do to be prepared in emergency situations that are similar to this,โ he said.
Two CRASE trainings are available this month: at 1 p.m. today and 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Both trainings will be held via Zoom.
To sign up, visit utrgv.edu/training.
To report suspicious activity or concerns, call University Police at 882-4911.
