Davant Marshall, a 20-year-old Christopher Newport University(CNU) student has been arrested Wednesday for starting five restroom fires within five hours on the campus. He is being held at the Newport Jail.
Marshall is charged with five counts of arson. He is a non-residential student and has been placed on interim suspension by the University. Marshall is a double major in communication studies and information systems and has a minor in psychology.
The arrest was made through a joint investigation conducted by CNU police, state police, Newport News police and the fire department and federal agencies.
The fires reported in four buildings forced officials to evacuate and cancel classes through Wednesday morning.
The first fire was reported just after noon in a small trash can at the David Student Union's second-floor men's bathroom about 12:20 p.m.; the second fire was found inside a women's restroom at Freeman Sports and Convocation Center.
The third fire was spotted at a men's bathroom, McMurran Hall. A sprinkler system was activated, which extinguished the fire.
The fourth and fifth fires were located at Forbes Hall restrooms. All the fires were extinguished immediately, causing no injuries and minimal damage.
"Final exams start next week. Everybody's focused on studying. I think it's somebody who didn't want to take a final test," CNU student Adam Milholen, said.
The police are yet to determine the cause of the fires and all fires remain under investigation.
