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2 Slippery Rock football players, 2 others accused in armed robbery

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Two Slippery Rock football players were among three people charged Thursday evening in connection with an armed robbery at an apartment complex near campus.

According to the  21-year-old victim, Julian Durden, 21, Robert Brown, 22, and Calvert Anderson, 23, entered his apartment at The Grove complex and held him and a friend at gunpoint.

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A fourth suspect in the armed robbery, 23-year-old Quatrell Rashad Jones, turned himself in to police late Friday.

The suspects are accused of stealing various items from both victims and fleeing the scene. According to police, the victim knew the suspects and helped identify them.

According to Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE, Anderson and Durden played football for Slippery Rock and were permanently dismissed from the program Thursday night after the charges were discovered.

Both players have been banned from campus and also face further discipline from the university.

“We won't tolerate this type of behavior. The coach is very torn up about this,” said Jon Holtz, Slipper Rock Athletic Communication Director.

Coach George Mihalik says he's "very disappointed in the selfish actions of these two men."

This is the second incident this week involving guns at the complex, and many residents are concerned.

“We're actually moving to try to get the lease declared void so we can just get out of here ASAP,” said Dakota Hannah, a resident of Grove.

State police confirmed with Channel 11's Pamela Osborne that a vehicle was shot Sunday as it was driven into the complex.

Anderson, of Johnstown, and Durden and Brown, both of Pittsburgh, are charged with robbery, burglary, theft and conspiracy, state police said Friday.

Durden originally attended Kent State but was dismissed from that program in 2014 for violations of team rules, according to TribLIVE.

He was suspended from the Kent State football team in February 2013 after being charged with receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony, and one count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. He pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor on the receiving stolen property charge and was reinstated to the team in September 2013.

A McKees Rocks native and Montour graduate, Durden rushed for 845 yards and 19 touchdowns as one of the top two running backs in Slippery Rock's backfield.

The senior was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division's Second Team on Thursday.