Eleven Ohio State students are recovering in the hospital, after a fellow student attacked them with a butcher’s knife on Monday morning. The 18 year old suspect, Abdul Artan has been identified as a Ohio State student and Somali refugee. Universities across the nation are giving their active shooter plan a second look. The Texas Tech Police Chief, Kyle Bonath said similar to Ohio State, in the case of emergency, they send out a notification that says: Run Out, Hide Out, Take Out.
“Each circumstance is unique, whether its a knife, or a gun, which building, which area, what time of year, what campus, so we are prepared,” Bonath said. “But each one will be unique to what is occurring at the time and where its occurring, and we are prepared as we can be for each and every scenario.”
The campus Tech Alert system will send out a text, email, and phone call if there is an active shooter on campus, or someone who is looking to implement harm with a weapon. Sergeant Amy Ivey gives active shooter training to Tech students and teachers. Ivey covers the role of a concealed carrier in a class room, in the event that an active shooter enters.
“We have a lot of individuals who are for campus carry or against it, but at the end of my presentations I always ask them: if we were in this room today and I was the teacher, and I was giving this presentation,” Ivey said. “Would you not want somebody to stand up and take out that shooter?”
The police department is working to have an audible alert be heard in each classroom over the PA system when an emergency takes place, whether it’s an active shooter or extreme weather conditions. Texas Tech Music Professor, Dr. Stacey Jocoy said she wishes that the ‘techalert’ was more like an Amber Alert, where it can be heard in class immediately.
“We need to have more of a conversation, not just faculty or the students but among security, and those who can help us to insure that that faculty are prepared and that there are better ways to safe guard all of our students on this massive campus.” Jocoy said.
