UCCS reviews security after recent shootings
Police at UCCS remain cautious after two more shootings on college campuses, in Arizona and Texas, on Friday.
Officers say they’re confident in their efforts to keep students and faculty safe, but admit the recent shootings are something they think about often.
“It truly is something that’s on our mind every day,” said UCCS Chief of Police Brian McPike. “There’s not a day that I wake up that I don’t think about something could happen, or something scary.”
The university does have an alert system in place that can send messages through email, text and on social media. It’s commonly used for weather cancellations or other immediate notifications campus-wide.
Students on campus say that while such shootings are tragic, they remain confident in the safety measures.
“It’s heartbreaking to think you go to school, you might not come home at the end of the day,” said student Mary Amoroso.
But she also says she feels safe on campus.
“I’m not worried here, personally.”
She’s a native of Colorado, so news of shootings isn’t uncommon for her.
“There’s Columbine, the theater shooting, Arapahoe High School. It’s hard to realize people can do something like that to people who don’t really deserve it,” she said.
The two shootings on Friday were unrelated, according to authorities.
At Northern Arizona University, one person was killed and three others injured early Friday morning. The shooting reportedly involved members of a fraternity.
Later Friday morning, a second shooting occurred at Texas Southern University. One person was killed on that campus, too.
Also on Friday, President Obama met privately with families of victims in the Umpqua Community College shooting last week. He told families he had “strong feelings” about gun control, according to ABC News.
Obama was also met with jeers by gun rights activists, who oppose his calls for stronger gun control measures.
