Three men were arrested in the area surrounding Morrill Tower, two for carrying a concealed weapon and one for obstructing official business.
The three men were presumed to be homeless and not affiliated with OSU, said Ohio State Police Chief Paul Denton.
He said the men were, “seen on (a security) camera near the bike racks and looked suspicious.” Police responded to the call and found the men still near the bike racks at Morrill Tower.
According to University Police reports, one white male, age 26, was arrested on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon. The man was reported as having a knife or cutting instrument.
Another male, black and age 27, was arrested with the charge of carrying a concealed weapon and of possessing criminal tools.
Both arrests were first-degree misdemeanors with unknown motives. They were not reported as hate crimes or as incidences of domestic violence.
Denton said the criminal tools indicated the men were probably going to attempt a bicycle theft.
Bike thefts are, “unfortunately one of the most frequent crimes we see (on campus),” Denton said.
A 38-year-old man was also arrested from Morrill Tower Tuesday with the charge of obstructing official business and theft.
Denton said the obstructing official business charge was given on the pretense of falsifying his name.
First-year students living in Morrill Tower expressed concern about their safety in the area.
“I mean it’s kind of scary. I’ve felt safe here; there hasn’t been a problem with safety so far. It kind of changes that now,” said Asia Hammond, a first-year in psychology. “I’m more aware now I guess. I’ll keep an eye out for suspicious acts and behavior now.”
Another Morrill Tower resident said the arrests that occurred so close to his residence hall altered his feelings of safety.
“It’s just pretty crazy that it happens around here and is so close to home. It alters my feelings of safety a little bit, but you just have to make sure you’re with the right crowd,” said Nate Brisson, a first-year in business administration.
Denton said no students were harmed at the crime scene.
Some students, such as Buckeyes for Concealed Carry president Michael Newborn, have been advocating for students to be allowed to carry weapons on campus for self-defense.
“We want people who have gotten their license, who can carry off campus … (to be able to) carry on campus as well,” Newborn told The Lantern earlier this month. “There is no way to keep guns from coming onto campus … gun control only affects the law-abiding citizens.”
Newborn said that, if students were permitted to carry concealed weapons on campus, the majority of criminal acts at OSU would still not end with the use of a weapon. He believes that if a student merely drew attention to its possession, it could be enough to end the conflict and scare away the criminal.

Chelsea Spears and Anna Duee contributed to this article.