Update on Stabbing Incident at Hudson Valley Community College
November 3, 2022
Just after noon today, Nov. 3, 2022, Hudson Valley’s Public Safety office and local law enforcement authorities responded to a reported stabbing incident in the B3 parking lot on the main campus in Troy. The suspect fled campus immediately, and the victim, a 19-year-old female student, was transported to a local hospital. Fortunately, her injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening, and the thoughts and hopes of our entire campus community remain with her for a quick and complete recovery.
Upon immediate review of campus surveillance footage, Public Safety and the Troy Police Department determined there was no further immediate threat to the campus community; however, the college closed at 2 p.m. to support the ongoing investigation. The Troy Police Department has since arrested the suspect, Hudson Valley student Zymeir Walton, age 20, of Albany, who was charged with first-degree assault and first-degree robbery, both felonies. Police report that the incident is being investigated as a domestic dispute.
The college will continue to cooperate with the Troy Police Department and other authorities as the investigation continues, and all students and employees are asked to report any information they may have regarding the investigation to Public Safety at (518) 629-7210. Questions and concerns about the incident or the investigation should also be directed to Public Safety.
Please note that the college uses two emergency notification systems, Alertus and SUNY NY-Alert, to share emergency communications. All students and employees are encouraged to review the information on the college’s emergency communications webpage and ensure that they have signed up for alerts on both platforms. In general, please remember to remain aware of your surroundings and to alert Public Safety to any suspicious activity you see on campus.
Though incidents like these are fortunately extremely rare at Hudson Valley, they are both tragic and disturbing, and can threaten the sense of safety we share on campus. It is important that we support one another and address these issues and concerns in a healthy and helpful manner. Students in need of personal counseling support services are encouraged to contact the college’s Counseling Center, located in the Siek Campus Center Suite 260, at (518) 629-7320. Mental health services are available to employees through the Employee Assistance Program, administered through the Capital EAP; information and assistance is available at www.capitaleap.org or (518) 465-3813.
We would like to thank the first responders from Troy EMS, the Troy Fire Department, the Troy Police Department, the North Greenbush Police Department, the New York State Police, and the college’s Public Safety staff for their quick response to the situation, and the campus community for their cooperation.
We do not anticipate any further updates at this time, but will continue to communicate with students and employees should the need arise.