PULLMAN, Wash. — Classes at Washington State University in Pullman resumed Monday for the first time since news broke of the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves and a former PhD student and teaching assistant at the school.
WSU is home to a large but tight-knit student and alumni base, and the campus community says it is pulling together as it begins to heal.
Dylan Sutton comes from a family of Cougs and WSU fans. Attending the school was always a goal -- and he says it's great to be back with his campus community.
"I think the school spirit is very nice, everybody's hyped me up since I was 12 in middle school [to go here] so, I think it's lived up to that expectation and being here, being part of it - is a nice experience," Sutton said.
He says the start of this semester was a bit quieter than normal, but he did see a normal volume of people returning and is looking forward to reconnecting.
"I think we just [have to] look out for each other and make sure that we're all getting the right resources and getting the help we need," Sutton said.
In a letter to students, WSU Pullman Chancellor, Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton wrote that "a new year and a new semester bring an opportunity for growth, peace, and most of all, healing."
The letter detailed available counseling and security measures, noting that "though Mr. Kohberger is not enrolled as a student at WSU Pullman, we recognize some of you may still have questions about safety on campus," and encouraging those students to call the non-emergency number for WSU Police at 509‑335‑8548.
Shortly following the arrest, the WSU Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology also released a statement saying it is "aggrieved by the alleged horrendous acts of one of its graduate students" and "relieved that justice will be carried out," noting that their "hearts are with the victims’ families."
Meanwhile, students say the allegations are not reflective of the campus as a whole.
"I love it here, it's a beautiful place to study, just this year alone I've found so many great places to sit down, plug in, get homework done or hang out with my friends," student Rhys Holmes said. "I think how the community handled this incident was amazing, the outflow of support for the families of those affected, the kids going into Moscow Police and everything, I think as a community we did an amazing job with this."
Holmes also noted gratitude for the conduct of the investigation.
"I know it's frustrating for people not getting a whole lot of information, but with everything that has come out I think they planned their hand super well and I wanted to congratulate them on an amazing investigation and doing such great work for our community," Holmes said.