Authorities are investigating the apparent murder of former UUP member Richard Antoun, who was stabbed to death in his office on the SUNY Binghamton campus Dec. 4. He was 77.

A 46-year-old post-graduate student and Saudi national, Abdulsalam al-Zahrani, was arraigned in the Town of Vestal Court, Broome County, on charges of second-degree murder.

Media reports quote other students and faculty describing the suspect as acting erratically in the days before the fatal assault. He was reportedly upset about not getting financial aid.

Antoun had retired as a full-time anthropology professor in 2000, but continued to conduct research. He had been a faculty member since the 1970s.

“We deeply regret the tragic death that took place as we would the loss of life on any of our campuses,” UUP President Phillip Smith said. “Our hearts go out to Dr. Antoun’s family and his university and union colleagues, who are deeply saddened by this tragic event.”

Prior to the incident, the union’s Binghamton Chapter had been working with the campus administration through a joint labor/management committee on how to improve training on preventing and responding to workplace violence.

— Donald Feldstein