ATLANTA — A Clark Atlanta University freshman says he came back to his dorm to find it completely trashed — and now the university is investigating.
Charles Collier, a freshman business major, told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers he was shocked when he returned to his dorm room last week and found it destroyed.
“I was just surprised about what happened, you know, and then I got a little angry,” Collier said.
His mother, Lena Jones, who lives out of state, said she was on FaceTime with her son when he saw the aftermath.
“I seen all the pain in his eyes,” Jones said.
She said many of his belongings were missing or damaged, including clothes and electronics.
“His underwear was gone. Closet didn’t have nothing,” Jones said. “Everything else was destroyed or stolen.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Jones believes the vandalism and burglary were personal and targeted because of the items her son owned. She said initially, after her son reported the incident, that police told him not to return to his room. She said her son roamed the campus for eight hours.
“That was the main thing that I was upset about, you know, was my son’s safety,” she said.
Jones said she met with university officials on Friday, and that conversation helped ease some of her concerns.
“The way that I felt walking into that meeting, I didn’t feel the same walking out,” she said.
Clark Atlanta University released a statement to students addressing the incident:
“Dear Panthers, We are aware of a recent incident involving one of our students in our dormitories. It is an unfortunate circumstance that we do not take lightly.
We are utilizing all available resources to conduct a proper investigation while providing additional support for the students and the family. Our primary focus is and remains to ensure a safe, stable, and nurturing environment that sets the stage for academic excellence and personal fulfillment.
We will not rest until all students can enjoy this standard."
Jones said she left the meeting feeling hopeful.
“I was assured that justice will be served,” she said.
Collier said he feels somewhat better now but is still cautious.
“I feel a little bit more comfortable. I won’t say safe, though,” he said.
Despite what happened, Collier said he plans to stay at Clark Atlanta.
“I didn’t want to run from the situation. I wanted to figure out who did that because I feel like, if I ran, it’ll keep on happening,” he said.
Jones said the experience, while painful, is a lesson her son is learning beyond the classroom.
“We all take losses in life, material things. You got them once you could get them again,” she said.
The university has since moved Collier into a new dorm room. He said it’s a single room, and he feels better being there.
TRENDING STORIES:
- You can now get Ozempic and Wegovy at Costco without insurance
- Man says a car dealer stopped taking his payments; then they took his BMW
- New $200+ million theme park planned in metro Atlanta; neighbors not amused
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
