Correction: 1:07 p.m. to correct the days of Jon Dooley's emails from Friday to Thursday. Elon News Network Regrets this error.
Reports of a vehicle being damaged by a gunshot outside of the Chabad House at 107 Truitt Drive were reported sometime between 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Vice President of Student Life Jon Dooley said in a campus-wide email sent on Wednesday night.
In the email, Dooley wrote that there is "no indication of any ongoing threat to the campus community."
According to the police report, Officer Brandon Wheeler of the Town of Elon Police responded to a property damage call around 8 p.m. Wheeler said he initially observed damage to the back window of the vehicle and after looking, saw more bullet damage to the bike rail on the right side of the car.
The car is identified in the report as a 2012 Jeep Compass. It is owned by 17 year old girl who is not an Elon student. As reported by Meredith Stutz of WXII, the girl was inside the house babysitting when it occurred.
On Thursday morning, a second email from Dooley said that Elon's Campus Safety and Police have been asked to increase its presence on and around campus.
The incident occurred while students were in the house attending services to mark the end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
Dooley said in an email on Thursday that, while there is no known motive, "the timing and location of this incident are extremely disturbing."
In a statement the following day, Elon Hillel said "We hope that we will learn that the vehicle was not damaged because it was parked in front of a Jewish facility – especially on Yom Kippur."
Hillel said it will be working with students to create "opportunities for counseling and conversation."
According to the police report the incident is being investigated as a suspect hate/bias motivated incident.
"Hate has no place at Elon," Dooley said in the email Thursday morning. "We stand together with those in our Jewish community, particularly at this holiest time in the Jewish year."
In a email to Elon News Network, Chabad Rabbi Mendy and Rivka Minkowitz said that they are grateful for the response from law enforcement and the community.
"As we move from the High Holidays and the Days of Awe to the Days of Joy during this holiday season, we look forward to a year of peace, goodness and blessing for all mankind," they wrote in the email.
The Town of Elon Police responded to the incident, and Elon's Campus Safety and Police responded to assist. Campus police said the investigation is being handled by the town.
Elon Town of Police Patrol Lieutenant Mike Brewer, who was stationed across the road from the house, said he would not comment on the investigation, as it is ongoing.
According to Brewer, five or six police cars responded to the scene and shut down Truitt Drive to conduct the investigation. As of midnight, on Thursday, Oct. 10, Truitt Drive has been reopened.
Elon University Communications declined to comment on the incident, further than what was said in Dooley's emails.
The Town of Elon Police is encouraging people with information about the incident to call at 336-584-1301.