Active Shooting Central Mich Uni--Where I am a Grad Student

I was not on campus, as I am a commuter student.

But here's the salient point for me. If I had been, it would have been MY 2ND "lock down" experience from a shooting event in 4 years.

I was working in Santa Monica in the Lion's Gate building in 2013, when we went on lock down in my office. I was the highest level manager in the office that day. We were on the 4th floor so I didn't feel like shots would come through a window. But this scenario was due to a shooter who had hijacked a car and was on Pico blvd. shooting randomly out the window.
The police were unsure if there was a 2nd shooter. Our building was near a water fountain outdoor cafe area that was very busy every lunch hour. They assumed the shooter(s) were looking for populated areas. There is a lot of confusion in getting accurate info in the early minutes.
It turned out to be a single shooter who went to Santa Monica Community College. There were many fatalities and he was killed. AR-15. I lived one block from that little college. I walked my dog there, and really loved it's quaintness (I had taught at Florida Keys Community College years ago and it reminded of that campus). I couldn't get home by car, as the streets were covered and taped off. I had news helicopters I swear 500 ft above my place all weekend, filming. It was like a war zone. I feel very fortunate to only have experienced that tragedy the way I did, on the periphery.

A couple of weeks later, a man drove his car down Venice Boardwalk trying to hit as many people as possible. Also fatalities. But less for sure. That is where I rode my bike. Not long after, a shooter came into LAX. I flew out of there for business almost weekly. It felt like the world was going mad. I really became sensitive to these events after.

I am thankful today's shooting was "only" two people and not students. But how sad it that?

Right now, everyone on campus there, today, is still in shelter mode, as the shooter is still at large. I am getting automated phone calls/messages from Central Michigan, every hour or so, telling me to continue to shelter in place.

I came to believe, and still do, that if we continue this way without restrictive measures, everyone will come to experience a mass shooting event at close proximity, or will know someone who has.




Highlights:
Two people were fatally shot Friday after a gunman opened fire at Campbell Hall dormitory at Central Michigan University, campus police said.

James Eric Davis Jr., 19, was identified as a suspect in what campus police believe was a domestic dispute. It was the nation's 12th school shooting this year.
Last seen wearing mustard yellow jeans and a blue hoodie, the suspect was still at large and considered armed and dangerous, according to police.
People were advised "to take shelter," law enforcement and school officials said.
The shooting happened about 8:30 a.m. Friday on the dorm's fourth floor.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/02/us/central-michigan-university-shots-fired/index.html