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Man Charged With Armed Assault At UMass Amherst Held Without Bail

BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A Framingham man charged with an armed assault during a drug deal in a University of Massachusetts-Amherst dormitory has been held without bail.

Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of 19-year-old William McKeown at his arraignment Monday on charges including armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

He is scheduled back in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.

Authorities say McKeown and another man who remains at large were let into the dorm last Thursday for a marijuana deal. They say McKeown struck the victim on the head with a gun and stole $120 before fleeing. No shots were fired. The suspects are not UMass students.

Reports of armed men on campus prompted a two-hour shelter-in place order.

Pierpont Hall UMass Amherst
An assault at Pierpont Hall at UMass Amherst prompted a lockdown (WBZ-TV)

McKeown's lawyer refused comment outside court.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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