Police are investigating two fires that broke out on the first floor of Brown residence hall as possible arson incidents, Hanover Police Sergeant Nick Giaconne said yesterday.
Officer Steve Reed last night said police have suspects but no arrests have been made.
The Hanover Fire Department received the first call at 11:48 p.m. Wednesday, according to Fire Chief Roger Bradley. The building was evacuated, Bradley said.
"It was evident that someone ignited paper on walls and bulletin boards," Bradley said. "The fire didn't do a great amount of damage."
Reed said a message board posted on the door to a room had also burned.
The second alarm came in at 2:25 Thursday morning.
Some students questioned about the fires said they think the police are investigating the possibility that the arson incidents were racially motivated.
The first fire was set outside room 103E Brown. Two black freshmen, Nii Sai and Phillip Cherfrere live in the room. The roommates said police asked them if they "had a problem with anyone on the floor."
Tim Daleiden '97 lives on the floor and said he was questioned by police twice. "They woke me and my roommate up while we were sleeping, standing over our heads with a notebook," he said.
Reed said there were conflicts in the accounts given to police by the suspects and other witnesses.
"What the suspects were saying didn't jive with what the witnesses were saying," Reed said. "We had to go back and confirm a lot of things."
Students said they did not think the fires were racially motivated.
"They think it is attempted arson or possibly a racially motivated crime, which is completely ridiculous," Daleidon said. "They are making some pretty serious allegations and they could cause a lot of friction on campus. They are needlessly escalating the situation."
Among the residents questioned were Sang Lee '97 and Lois Rutigliano '97.
"They were questioning us and hassling us because they think we know who did it," Lee said.
