Students and community at Texas A&M University on edge after 2 sexual assaults near the campus

BRYAN, Texas (KTRK) -- Safety is a big concern for students who attend Texas A&M University after word spread that there were two recent sexual assault investigations.

The recent crimes happening in the small, quiet community of Bryan have students on high alert tonight and planning ways to defend themselves if necessary.

One student told ABC13 the fact that the suspect is still on the run caused her to panic when she saw a white van outside her home.

"They were just delivering flowers for my roommate, but I think right now a lot of girls are scared," she said.

Bryan police have said a masked man caught on home surveillance video trying to break into homes is a person of interest in two sexual assaults near Aggieland.

"Seeing the Ring camera, video, and that kind of thing is super scary," Rory Sunderland, another student, said.

"I'm glad that I live in a complex, but I mean, that's not that safe, you know."

Sunderland thinks about her safety.

"Checking under my car, making sure that there's no one under there, no one in my backseat," she said.

While police look for the suspect, they are also shutting down rumors that photos online of zip ties being placed on car doors and trashcans are connected to sex trafficking.

"What we want people in the community to do right now is be vigilant of their surroundings, make sure you're locking your doors, and pay attention to what's going on around you rather than looking at what may be on your door or in your trashcan," Officer Kole Taylor with BPD, said.

Few students have used social media to reenact how they would respond if they found themselves in a similar situation.

"That's just like my generation's way of coping with a lot of things," said a student. "But, it is kind of sad because, for people who are victim to it, they might see it as well."

Whether TikTok or word of mouth, Sunderland says, everyone needs to know what's happening and take the incidents seriously.

"A lot of the first-year students are kind of oblivious, and that is super scary because they are new. It's their first semester here, so I think that communication and making sure everyone understands the severity of it is really important," she said.