MBI

A Bible College Student Begged for His Life in a 12th-Floor Stairwell as a Classmate Wearing a Ski Mask Pointed a Fake Rifle at Him

Thursday, January 22, 2026ILweapon scaretimely warningmedium confidence

On the evening of January 22, 2026, an 18-year-old student at Moody Bible Institute was leaving his dorm room and entering the 12th-floor stairwell at 809 N Wells St. when a classmate dressed in all black with a ski mask allegedly pointed a fake rifle at him and gestured for him to get on his knees. The victim was 'begging for his life' before realizing the weapon was a replica, according to Chicago Police and Sun-Times reporting.

Alerts: 1
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Moody Bible Institute

Private Liberal Arts · IL

MBIPD Emergency Alert

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMSEvening of January 22, 2026, shortly after 6:30 PM CST

Approximate reconstruction234 chars

MBIPD ALERT: Suspicious incident reported in residential building stairwell at 809 N Wells. Campus Police are investigating. If you see anyone dressed in all black with a ski mask carrying a weapon, call 911 immediately. Remain alert.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 PM CST on January 22, 2026, in the 12th-floor stairwell of 809 N Wells St., one of MBI's residential buildings.

The perpetrator, Joshua Losey of Galesburg, IL, was a fellow 18-year-old student who shared a class with the victim; the 'prank' targeted a classmate he apparently knew.

Context

Background

On the evening of January 22, 2026, an 18-year-old Moody Bible Institute student stepped out of his dorm room and entered a 12th-floor stairwell in a residential building at 809 N Wells St. on MBI's Chicago campus. There he encountered a classmate, Joshua Losey of Galesburg, IL, who was dressed entirely in black with a ski mask and allegedly pointed a fake rifle at the victim and gestured for him to kneel. The victim was described as 'begging for his life' before police investigation revealed the firearm was a replica. Losey was charged with aggravated assault with a replica firearm and disorderly conduct with threat of violence at a school. Chicago Sun-Times reported that Losey was released pending trial. The incident is the most serious weapon-related case in recent MBI history and underscores the psychological harm of replica-weapon 'pranks' even absent live fire. Moody Bible Institute is a century-old evangelical Bible college and seminary whose residential campus on Chicago's Near North Side serves approximately 3,000 students.

Outcome

Suspect Joshua Losey, 18, was charged with aggravated assault with a replica firearm and disorderly conduct with threat of violence at school. No injuries. Losey was released pending trial.

Provenance

Sources

News
Student was 'begging for his life' as Moody Bible Institute classmate pointed fake rifle at him, police say - Chicago Sun-Times
chicago.suntimes.com
News
Moody Bible Institute student pointed fake gun at classmate - NBC Chicago
nbcchicago.com
Official
Crime Alerts - Chicago - Public Safety - Moody Bible Institute
public-safety.moody.edu

Alert Sequence

Background

Sources

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