A group of about five men allegedly attacked three Northwestern students as they walked past the Davis Street Metra stationFriday night, the victims said. One of the students was hospitalized.

The incident was the second time in 24 hours an NU student was attacked off campus. A man attempted to rob a student Friday at 2:35 a.m. as the student stood alone at 1575 Oak Ave., police said.

Friday night’s attackers went after a group of students.

Ben Cheung and Kevin Lee, McCormick seniors, and Mike Wang, a Weinberg senior, were on their way to The Keg of Evanston, 810 Grove St., at about 11:30 p.m., when they passed a group of men who were walking in the same direction near the Metra station.

Wang was going to the Keg to report on a story for the Daily.

One of the men allegedly struck Cheung repeatedly on the back and the side of his head, forcing him to the ground.

Two other men attacked Wang. Lee said they cornered him on the Metra ramp and punched him on the sides of his face.

Cheung had injuries to his face and was taken to a hospital, where he received three stitches to his cheeks. Lee and Wang did not receive major injuries.

The attack lasted less than five minutes, Lee said.

“By the time I turned around, I saw Mike on the ramp, Ben was on the ground bleeding and the people who attacked us were already leaving,” Lee said.

The group of attackers dispersed when a larger group of people approached from the west entrance of the Metra station. They helped the victims find the police station, Lee said.

NU issued a security alert after both incidents occurred. University Police increased security around campus, said Alan Cubbage, vice president of university relations, who urged students to use Escort Service and shuttle buses when traveling at night.

“It’s really a matter of concern when you have incidents so close together,” Cubbage said. “Everyone in the Northwestern community needs to be alert.”

Seven attacks occurred on or near the Evanston campus last fall, tying the total of all attacks from the previous year.

The last incident happened just outside Lisa’s Cafe on North Campus Nov. 8. The attacked student was walking with a group when an unknown man said “NU sucks” and slammed the student to the ground, police said at the time.

“I feel unsafe to the extent that we’re alerted but not told how to deal with it,” Communication freshman Sophie Ostlund said.

Ostlund said she often visits friends who live along Davis Street.

She said she still feels safe when off campus and is considering living off campus next school year.

Cheung, Lee and Wang were uncertain of the group’s motive. The offenders appeared sober, and only Cheung’s attackers asked for money, Lee said.

The group was described as about four or five men in their mid-twenties. They mostly wore dark colors.

With them was a young child between 8 and 10 years old, Lee said.

The experience left Lee with a mixture of “fear and confusion.” Even stranger was that Lee and his roommates were walking to the Keg in a group, he said.

“It wasn’t like I was alone,” he said. “There were three of us, and they still attacked us.”

They said they walk by the area often and sometimes even later at night. Still, this was the first time Lee and his roommates witnessed or were involved in fight.

“There’s always a lot of high school kids or teenagers around, but I’ve never seen anything like this happen before,” he said.

Lee said he didn’t know what to make of the situation. They took safety precautions, he said, and he doesn’t know what to tell other students.

“It’s really hard to predict anything like this,” Lee said. “You just don’t know what will happen.”

Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected].