Manhunt in two Southern Illinois counties affects Southeast students

Two armed and dangerous men have been on the loose in Union and Massac counties in Illinois. One manhunt began early Monday morning as five suspects broke into the Revlon Tavern just east of Ware, Illinois. The second manhunt began early Tuesday morning in Massac County.

Dejun Booker, 26, was captured around 10 a.m. Tuesday after being at large for almost two days. The manhunt still continues for the man at large in Massac County. According to Union County Police, Highway 146 in Union County was closed for approximately three to four hours yesterday while searching for Booker.

Southeast Missouri State University has approximately 57 students enrolled who are from Union and Massac counties and were affected by the manhunt and road closures.

Beth Glaus, interim director of the Department of Public Safety, said there are ways for students to stay safe.

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While traveling from home to school

1. Plan your trip and let someone know your estimated time of arrival.

2. Lock the doors on your car.

3. Stop for no one, unless it is a police officer — always cooperate.

4. Program DPS’s phone number into your cellphone. Depending on the situation, they could potentially arrive on the scene faster than other public safety could. To contact DPS call (573) 651-2215.

5. When traveling through different counties, program each county's Sheriff’s Department phone number into your phone.

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While at home

1. If exterior lighting is available on your home, leave the lights on, a motion-sensored light is best.

2. Keep all doors locked at all times — even if your home is in a rural area.

3. Have an emergency plan with your roommates or family. Delegate duties to each person in the residence. For example, who will call the police, and who will help fend off the suspect.

4. Know your capabilities — are you in a position to protect yourself or do you need to run away? Make sure an escape route is planned if you are not in a position to protect yourself.

5. Be aware of your surroundings.

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If you are ever confronted by a suspect and have no way out, it is important to be able to defend yourself to escape the situation. Being prepared is key in these situations and Southeast offers a free training program to help prepare students for a possible encounter. A.L.I.C.E Training stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. This training course is free to students, and individual sessions can be scheduled through the captain of patrol operations at (573) 651-2215. Beginning in October, A.L.I.C.E Training will be on a schedule through the Training and Development Department, visit them at semo.edu/training/alice.html for a full list of upcoming training dates.