A fire in Alumni Hall last fall is still under investigation and has been classified as arson.

According to Christopher Loos, director of Campus Safety, the fire that took place on the third floor of Alumni Hall at 10:55 p.m. Oct. 7, 2013, was officially listed as arson in the university’s 2014 security and fire safety report.

Loos said the official cause of the fire was “unfounded” and no one was officially charged.

However, Loos said an individual is suspected in the crime.

“The Parkville (Police Department) and Fire Marshall had a suspect but did not have enough to press charges against this individual,” Loos said in an email statement to The Stylus.

“This individual is not affiliated with Park University and for privacy reasons a name will not be released as no one was formally charged with the crime and the case is still open. We do know who this person is and have made this person aware they are banned from campus as a precaution,” Loos stated.

When the fire was discovered in the third floor green room of Alumni Hall, alarms sounded and Campus Safety called in fire crews from the Southern Platte Fire Protection District to the scene.

SPFPD Fire Chief Richard Carrizzo said he, along with fire investigators, immediately saw signs that the fire was “intentional.”

Carrizzo said if at any time during the fire department’s investigation officials think a fire may have be intentional, they immediately contact local law enforcement.

According to the Parkville Police Department, who were called on scene Oct. 7, 2013, a probable cause statement – including suspect information – was forwarded to the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office for review Oct. 21, 2013.

However, the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file charges due to “insufficient” evidence, according to Cindy Liberty, police secretary for the Parkville Police Department.

Jill Brockman, media liaison and legal assistant of the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office, said any further information about the case is unavailable.

“Until or unless charges have been filed, it is not public information,” said Brockman.
Although insufficient evidence resulted in a “decline to file” by the prosecutor’s office, this case is still open and under review.

The fire resulted $10,000 worth of damage, according to the official report from the SPFPD.

This damage caused a temporary suspension of new enrollees into the theatre minor program due to a lack of facilities. No official statement about the future of the program has been released to students at this time.

Loos wanted to remind students about the new “See Something, Say Something” campaign that promotes open  communication with the Park community.

“If you see something out of place and want to let us know but want to remain anonymous, you can text the word “Safety” and your message to 50911,” Loos said.

“Please be as specific with location, nature of incident being reported, and information identifying a suspect if available so that we can respond more promptly. Although we do have this method of communication available we always ask to be called directly at (816) 584-6444 or extension 6444 from a campus telephone. In case of fire or other emergencies please dial 911.”