A Washington University spokesman says the school knows little about James W. Von Brunn, the man who shot and killed a guard at the Holocaust Museum before he was critically wounded by other security officers today. Von Brunn’s family moved to St. Louis in the 1800s from Germany. He is a 1943 graduate from Washington University.
Spokesman Sue McGinn says the school has had no contact with Von Brunn for decades.<br/ />
M. Frederick Volkmann, Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs for WashingtonUniversity, issued this statement: <br/ /> <br/ /> “WashingtonUniversity is dismayed and shocked to learn that an attack was madetoday at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The University has along-standing commitment to human rights and religious studies,including the Holocaust and Jewish studies, as well as being a sponsorof Holocaust lectures by experts from around the world. <br/ /> <br/ /> “Aperson by the name of James W. Von Brunn is listed as a 1943 graduateof Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. TheUniversity has scant information on this individual, and alumni recordsshow no contact in recent decades with this individual. <br/ /> <br/ /> “TheUniversity is deeply saddened by this event and our hearts go out tothe victims of this unwarranted attack. Washington University alumnihave held prominent positions with the Holocaust Museum, including thecurrent chairman of the Museum’s Memorial Council.”<br/ />
About 30 percent of Washington University’s student population is Jewish.<br/ />
