It began as a standard call. At the University of Surrey’s Manor Park Student Village in Guildford, two campus security officers were asked to move someone out of a common room shortly after eight in the morning on a Thursday. This type of work is common at universities worldwide; it is unremarkable, low-stakes, and nearly administrative. Then a crossbow was used to shoot 51-year-old campus safety officer Robert Tytler.
Guildford, a university town that rarely finds itself at the center of a national news story involving medieval weapons and an attempted murder charge, experienced hours of uncertainty as a result.
On Friday afternoon, 21-year-old Saudi national Almunthir Daqamah, a former student at the university, appeared in Guildford magistrates’ court. He told the court that he had no fixed address, was dressed in a grey sweatshirt, and was charged with more than just the crossbow. Prosecutors named possession of an offensive weapon, the crossbow, and two counts of possession of bladed objects, one of which was a lock knife and the other of which was described as a zombie-style knife, in addition to the attempted murder charge. There was also a cannabis possession charge. Since then, he has been placed under remand in custody in preparation for his July Crown Court appearance.
The university community obviously needed to hear that Tytler was still in a stable state in the hospital. Beyond the typical corporate concern, the university’s statement stood out for expressly thanking the Campus Safety team and commending their bravery and professionalism. That language conveys an institution’s understanding that its members had just encountered a truly dangerous situation rather than a procedural one.
Additionally, Surrey Police responded quickly to a question they anticipated many people would have. Jon Groenen, Chief Superintendent, stated unequivocally that there was no evidence linking the incident to terrorism. Given the situation—a foreign national, a crossbow, and a university campus—it’s the kind of statement that most likely had to be made. Additionally, Groenen requested that people refrain from speculating on the internet, indicating that the case’s information landscape had already devolved before formal charges were even brought.
The claim made by witnesses that Daqamah made fun of Tytler while he lay hurt is a significant detail. The Telegraph and other publications reported on it, but police are still trying to piece together the circumstances.
The psychological fallout was immediate for students on campus. Eliza Eaton, a 19-year-old student of criminology and forensics, told reporters that she was shocked and uncomfortable but that she had previously always felt secure there. It’s a complex mix of emotions that doesn’t exactly cancel each other out, and it probably shouldn’t. Campuses are open spaces by design. There have always been trade-offs associated with openness that most people never have to consider.
What exactly preceded the events of the morning and what led to the confrontation are still unknown. The investigation into what transpired between Daqamah’s request to leave the common area and Tytler’s shooting is still ongoing. It will take some time for the whole picture to become clear. For the time being, a peaceful university town is coping with an unexpected situation, and a safety officer who came in for a routine shift is recuperating in the hospital, hoping for the simple resolution that the remainder of his morning never had to be.
