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Locals, Students On Edge

BLOOMING GROVE TOWNSHIP — The search continues for Eric Frein, the man state police believe murdered one of their own and injured another trooper. The sho...

BLOOMING GROVE TOWNSHIP -- The search continues for Eric Frein, the man state police believe murdered one of their own and injured another trooper.

The shooting happened Friday night outside the state police barracks at Blooming Grove.

People in Pike County have been on alert ever since.

At the 402 Cafe a couple miles down the road from the barracks, the investigation hit close to home.

Frein's Jeep was discovered in the woods just behind the restaurant in Hawley.

"We've had manhunts in the backyard with the woods, so yeah, it's a topic of conversation every morning over breakfast," said 402 Cafe owner Greg Huelbig.

"Everybody has everybody's back here. It's a small town. This is what we do."

The effects of that search are also being felt in Monroe County. We're learning that Eric Frein was a student at East Stroudsburg University in 2005, then again in 2011 and 2012.

While state police do not say that ESU is considered a target, students there are on alert.

"We're still looking around, being aware and all of that, locking your doors and stuff like that," said student Vinny Marinoni.

The president of the university released a statement regarding the investigation saying:

"ESU police are working closely with local, county, and state law enforcement, sharing information and following up on all related information."

Campus police plan to update students through the ESU website twice a day until Frein is in custody.

"I like that they're on top of it and not just letting it go."

"They can give us alerts out and everything. It gives us a little peace of mind, but not really because he's still on the loose," said student William Powers.

As the days pass, people in the Pocono region tell Newswatch16 they'll continue to be cautious until Frein is caught.

"How long can somebody go? How long can the community go? I guess the answer to that is as long as we have to."

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