Former student, 21, charged with attempted murder after crossbow shooting at Surrey University
A Saudi Arabian national and former student has been charged after a security guard was shot with a crossbow at a student village at the University of Surrey.
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Almunthir Daqamah, 21, was charged with attempted murder, possession of an offensive weapon, two counts of possession of a bladed article and possession of Class B drugs on Friday morning, Surrey Police confirmed.
Police were called to Manor Park Student Village in Guildford at around 10am on Thursday.
The victim, a campus safety officer in his 50s, remains in a stable condition in hospital.
The attacker had allegedly been squatting in a student common room on James Black Road, reported The Telegraph.
He has been remanded in custody to appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court this morning, the force added.
Two students, who live in the block near where the shooting happened, said the attacker had been staying in the building’s common room for three days.
When the alleged attacker was asked to leave by security on Thursday morning, he allegedly left and then returned with a crossbow.
Another witness added that the alleged assailant mocked the security guard as he lay on the floor.
He said: “He wasn’t shouting. He was mocking the guy he shot and was falsely claiming he was ‘crying like a baby’.
“I think he said he was happy he had shot him. When a student nurse came over to help in her dressing gown, he said, ‘I want to see the blood.’
Chief Superintendent Jon Groenen said: “We know how concerning this incident is, both for the University community and for local residents here in Guildford, and our officers are working at pace to establish the full circumstances of what occurred.
“There is nothing to suggest this incident is terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.
“We continue to work closely with the University and at this time, I would ask people to refrain from speculating online to preserve the integrity of the investigation. If you have any information that could assist our enquiries, please contact us directly.
“The victim is thankfully now in a stable condition. He remains in hospital and we continue to provide support to his family.”
A spokesman for the University of Surrey said: “A member of our campus safety team was seriously injured and is receiving medical care.
“The police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. Surrey Police are leading the investigation and we are giving them our full support.”
The University of Surrey campus is understood to be fully open today.