Active Shooter: How Prepared Does the KU Campus Feel

By Kristina Padilla

Last November, two masked male individuals walked into a KU classroom. Uncertain of the individuals intentions, many students feared for their safety and hunched down in their seats. The individuals were detained shortly after the disruption and were not in possession of weapons. The event was a subtle reminder of what could have happened and what has happened on far too many college campuses; the scenario of a male individual storming college classrooms and opening fire on defenseless students. According to a 2014 report conducted by the FBI, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in United States Between 2000 and 2013, the number of mass shooting incidents has increased 150 percent from 2007 to 2013. The attacks have primarily occurred in commercial areas, but schools are the second-largest grouping. The Congressional Research Service defines mass shooting as, incidents occurring in relatively public places, involving four or more deaths not including the shooter(s) and gunmen who select victims somewhat indiscriminately. KUs Public Safety Office provides an informative response guide to follow in the event of an active shooter on campus on their website. Yet, an informal survey of 42 KU students revealed that, although nearly all were aware of the emergency text messaging system, only two were aware of KUs active shooter protocol. Community education is a critical component that factors into overall survival rate; law enforcement response time cannot be the only determinant of the outcome of an active shooter incident. Further findings from the FBI study discovered the majority of attacks ended in five minutes or less, and 60 percent ended before police arrived. Sometimes the response by law enforcement is determined by when we are called by the public, thats why the educational piece for the public is key. Ifyou see something, say something, said the Capt. of KUs police support unit, James Anguiano.But if students are not provided appropriate informational training, they may not know what behavior to look out for. According to the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Addressing the Problem of the Active Shooter, several active shooters, display observable pre-attack behaviors, which, if recognized, can lead to the disruption of the planned attack.Aside from the active shooter response guide on the Public Safety Office website and the emergency text notification system, students can receive training, either by request or during Campus safety week, Anguiano said. How many students would request such training, particularly when not even aware of the possibility? If students do not feel adequately prepared for the event of an active shooter, the responsibility then falls onto faculty to be prepared. But the degree to which KU faculty has been trained on appropriate responses is unclear. Assistant Professor Yvonnes Chen has not received active shooter training at KU, but wants to know the protocol so she can protect herself and students. Somebody needs to be in control, she said. Chen was hired at Virginia Tech months after the mass shooting in April, but experienced two shooting incidents during her time there. Knowing the standard procedure in response to an active shooter kept her safe her during both. Training is an immediate solution to the problem, she said. It is always best to be pro-active rather than reactive, especially concerning the possibility of an active shooter on the KU campus. Ensuring students and faculty are provided with ongoing opportunities to receive training would increase the level of safety felt by the KU community.