Man with a gun

Man with a gun…
Not the best subject for an email, but everyone at the college I attend was sent that email last Tuesday. At 10:30 am I was in the library doing my lab assignment for my stats class, and all of a sudden the fire alarm went off. Since it was a week where every class had a test I actually assumed a student had lost his cool, and pulled the alarm. All of a sudden on the loud speaker system everyone was asked to exit the library.

As I exited I realized people were not being evacuated from campus, and there were no fire engines I did think it was odd. However, I had another lecture to go to, so I went to class. Towards the end of class students were getting up and leaving the room, and there was a lot of chatter towards the back of the lecture hall. Our professor asked what all the chatter was about, and a student informed everyone that she just received an email form the college. The email stated there was a man with the gun on campus, and there would be more police coming to the campus.

The email also stated if anyone including students, faculty or staff wanted to leave the campus they were allowed, but to please let a supervisor know. Many students left the classroom, but about 50 of us stayed to finish the lecture. I am not sure what was more concerning the man with the gun, or the students being on their smart phones and checking email while we were in class. Either way at the time I was not concerned about my safety in the class room, but outside was a different story.

I left the campus as a phone call was made to my cell phone. It was the university again with an emergency phone call giving more warnings about the man on campus, and information about the evacuated library. To say that the call was unnerving was an understatement. I did think the email was fine, but the call was a bit weird.

The remainder of the day the campus called and emailed many updates about the situation to all students, and staff. I think I was sent six emails, and received five calls. One of the emails even included a picture of the suspect. It turned out that he may have hid in the library with a gun. The next day rumors were swirling around the campus.

One student told me that the suspect was a schizophrenic, and he had no gun, but another report was that he did. All in all I never saw this person, and I never saw his gun. He was captured the day of the voluntary evacuation, so all was back to normal the next day. I guess since the question mark incident at UCLA campus police just don’t mess around with any threat on campus.