The June 9 shooting incident was not the first at University Heights.
According to reports by the Opelika-Auburn News and WTVM, on April 13, 2012, around 5:30 a.m. an Auburn Police narcotics unit and members of a county-wide tactical team served a drug search warrant for an apartment in the complex and were shot at by a man with an assault style rifle.
After arriving at the apartment and identifying themselves as police, officers forced entry into the residence and approached a locked bedroom door.
In their attempts to breach the door, the suspect inside fired at the officers who then returned fire. After the officers returned fire, the shooter surrendered.
The shooter was later identified as Ivan L. Slavich IV, 21, of Auburn.
During the search officers seized a pound of marijuana, $4,200 in cash and two assault style rifles.
Slavich was arrested that day and charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Also arrested were Joshua C. Pulley, 20, who was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; Malcolm T. Robinson, 22, who was charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; and Keith R. Brown Jr. 21, who was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
All four men listed an Auburn address, but Pulley, Robinson and Brown identified themselves as Tuskegee University students.
Recently, residents have spoken out about the apparent decreasing safety of the complex.
Angel Garrison, junior in anthropology, is not pleased with the way University Heights has maintained its facilities since she moved in last year.
"My view of the complex definitely changed a little after the shooting, but my view had been changing since I moved in," Garrison said. "Not only has University Heights gotten significantly dirtier and just kind of sad, but I've seen multiple arrests at my apartment building and those surrounding it."
For Garrison, this violence has impacted her way of life in the complex.
"I didn't hang out outside of my apartment much before the shooting, but I've definitely stayed inside more since that happened," Garrison said.
The shooting in April occurred at the apartment diagonally behind Garrison's, and Garrison said she believes that the relation to drugs is no coincidence.
"Honestly, yes, the complex is known to have a lot of drug problems, but I wasn't aware of the violence until April," Garrison said. "If I mention University Heights to anyone, nine times out of ten someone mentions its increasing drug problem or that it's turned into the 'ghetto'."
Garrison also said even within the complex, certain areas are off-limits if residents want to stay safe.
"My roommates and I don't even like going to the computer lab alone to print because of the sketchy people that hang around the building and pool." Garrison said.
Garrison said that she will be vacating the complex as soon as her lease is up on July 31.
"The recent violence that has been plaguing University Heights has just helped me ensure myself that I made a good decision to move." Garrison said.
Richard Trammell, junior in theatre, was never given details on what happened that day.
In the wake of the recent shooting on June 9, he wonders why residents were never given any answers.
"This is the second shooting we've had this year," Trammell said. "They didn't give any details of that shooting. We don't really know what happened."
University Heights declined to comment on the incident.
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