Five students reported that they were robbed at gunpoint in a Village C West room after answering a knock at their dorm room door last Friday at 4 a.m, according to a safety alert e-mail sent to the university community last Saturday.

The Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Public Safety were summoned and MPD is conducting an investigation into the incident. One of the two suspects was apprehended by MPD on Friday, the e-mail reported.

“Initial investigation indicates that this incident followed a previous incident among the individuals who were involved and that this was not a random act,” the e-mail said.

DPS was unable to comment on the specifics of the case.

“This is an active, ongoing investigation and we therefore cannot discuss the specifics of the case,” Darryl Harrison, Interim Director for DPS, said. “The Metropolitan Police Department is proceeding in their investigation as expeditiously as they can.”

The e-mail described the second suspect as a black male, 5’9″, 170 lbs., wearing dark clothing and armed with a dark semi-automatic pistol.

The incident raises questions about the university’s lockdown policy, which is intended to allow only residents to access their own residence hall. If the robbers did not live in Village C West, the lockdown policy would have required that they sign in at the front desk and have an escort who was a resident of that building.

The e-mail warned students against allowing strangers into residence halls and against propping open exterior and inner lobby doors when they should be closed. The alert also reminded students to keep doors locked at all times.

Anyone with information in the case has been asked to contact DPS at (202) 687-4343.