Police confirm one OSU employee dead, two taken to hospital after shooting

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 19:19

I too did not receive any BuckeyAlert about this although I do suscribe to the system. Sounds like it failed to me.

Message Not Received

Tue Mar 9 2010 14:53

My husband and I are both university employees and are signed up for text, email, and phone message alerts via the Buckeye Alert System. We always receive the test messages, however neither of us received a message about the shooting. My husband works in Bricker Hall, not far from where the shooting took place.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 13:59

The tragic event was caused by a disgruntled employee, not the second amendment. This wasn't random, it was premeditated. He was going to commit this crime regardless of the weapon.

Bob

Tue Mar 9 2010 13:04

Another tragedy caused by the second amendment.

Alex

Tue Mar 9 2010 13:02

Did the shooter have a concealed handgun permit?

g.m.l.t.

Tue Mar 9 2010 12:44

Through Buckeye Alert, I'm not signed up to receive a text message, but I'm signed up to receive a recorded message on my cell phone and my landline. Buckeye Alert didn't call and leave a message about this shooting on either phone, and both of my phones are working! Then, when I watched the news story on NBC Channel 4 Columbus (noon), the reporter said that OSU officials said that students were alerted through the alert system that OSU has in place. That's not true for me and for other students! Buckeye Alert, get it right! OSU, quit giving the media sugar-coated information! I sure hope that that NBC Channel 4 reporter finds out the real truth about our Buckeye Alert system and does a story on how ineffective it really is! Well, in all sincereity, my prayers go out to the families of the deceased workers and the worker who is still in the hospital.

K

Tue Mar 9 2010 11:28

All campuses have crime issues and, considering the size of the OSU campus both physically and by population, I think OSU does a good job of reporting incidences that occur. Most universities and small colleges are not forthcoming with bad news for fear that it will deter potential applicants. OSU is in an urban area and will experience the same problems that all urban areas face. And there will always be room for improvement-- how about some constructive criticism instead of whining?

anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 11:21

I really hope all the comments about the "no guns allowed" stickers on the door actually keeping guns out are meant to be ironic. JB and Grad Student can't actually think a law preventing somethingactually keeps it from happening. People that do these things are CRIMINALS. By definition, CRIMiNALS do not obey the law. Also, a police patrol is only in an area a short time before moving on. Anyone intent on committing a crime merely waits until they're gone. Don't ask "where are the police, aren't they patrolling?" it is up to each of us to take the necessary actions to keep safe. The job of law enforcement is to solve crimes. They cannot be evrywhere at once to stop them.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 11:13

The campus is located downtown with many high crime rated neighborhoods around it. To think crime will never happen on OSU grounds like Harry Potter had cast a magic force field around it is naive. Some of these parents' comments make me wonder if they ever leave their house.

CB

Tue Mar 9 2010 10:54

Obviously several thousand OSU students are not even taking the notification system seriously. Considering that only 2500 are signed up out of 50,000 plus. That is pure ignorance. I personally would rather receive a notification late than never. The incident ocurred at 3:30am. Did you really expect to receive noticification at 3:31am? Think about when there's an emergency in your own family. How long does it take to notify everyone. Now multiply that to the amount of students, staff, and public, in addition to notifying all the proper authorities. Once again, personally, I rather they notify all proper authorities before they notify me. 30 minutes is not a bad reaction time. It's even better that they were able to resolve the situation before you were even aware. I consider that a success for the OSU Police and Public Safety. Or would you have prefered they take the time to notify everyone first, then resolve the conflict. Let the authorities do their job.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 10:52

Can we allow concealed carry now?

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 10:39

People. First of all, it is naive to think that a sticker on a door will deter a gunman. Do you really think a gunman will see the sticker and go 'oh, no guns allowed? Well, I better pick someplace else to start shooting.' More than likely the gunman was a disgruntled employee. He was not targeting students; he was targeting employees at this specific building at this specific time. These things don't happen randomly. This does not mean that campus is not safe for your children. Students, this does not mean that class is not safe to attend. Unfortunately these things happen. Do a search of school shootings or even office building shootings and you will be surprised at how frequent they actually occur. This simply means that people need to be more aware of those they interact. Be nicer. We live in a selfish society. By no means am I condoning any violent actions and I do send my sympathies to all victims and families.

Jack

Tue Mar 9 2010 10:32

Jerry Lohman,

The alert told me to stay inside. What good is getting an alert an hour after the incident occurred telling someone to stay inside.

Karl Spaulding

Tue Mar 9 2010 10:22

I'm with Mr. Lohman. Even if all the alerts came out within five minutes of the 9-1-1 call, a fast breaking violent situation could still catch people unaware. I'm not saying "alerts" are useless. There are many advantages to a well designed alert system. However, violence does not always follow a prescribed script or pattern. At VT, the shooter Cho began his attacks at a dorm and then went to a post office to mail his diatribe to the press before returning to campus later and entering a building to kill most of his victims.

Those who are concerned about sudden violence need to study how to protect themselves from it. No agency will be guaranteed to be there when you are attacked. You need to learn to handle emergencies yourself. That's why I call self-defense "first-aid for violence."

IMO, OSU does a poor job of getting this reality across. It would require more honesty about the high crime areas adjacent to campus, and the unpredictable nature of life and death. This past week's spate of campus crime alerts, Central Ohio police involved shootings and now this shooting incident are probably just a statistical anomaly, but it should serve to get us all thinking harder about crime.

I am again calling for a campus wide crime prevention initiative that includes not just students, but staff and faculty as well. The "unthinkable" has to be discussed openly. Crime and violence have to be regarded as EVERYONE'S BUSINESS and not just the police and safety forces' business. Everyone needs to understand the truth: when sudden violence happens, you will most likely be on your own, at least for a few minutes. Realistic survival methods need to be considered and taught.

There are no simple answers. There is only a lot of work to be done. Crime prevention needs to become more readily recognized as not just something students read about in a pamphlet, but a serious subject that should be regarded as lifelong learning. Crime does not end at campus boundaries or at the graduation ceremonies. The possibility of crime and violence is with us everywhere and at all times.

Crime prevention and self-defense are much wider areas of study than many people realize. I'm not just talking about students. I'm also talking about OSU administrators and professors who in my experience do not want to talk about such things, and have made extremely poor decisions in the past.

I know this because I've addressed them in the past and they ignored me.

Karl

Jerry Lohman

Tue Mar 9 2010 09:20

For those who are upset about a one hour notification after the event: would one hour BEFORE the even be more convenient for you? Do you think laws are going to protect you from irrational people? Do you expect a campus security personal body guard to escort you to class? Does anyone really expect security to be foolproof? Grow up and get to class. And have the courage to use your real name.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 09:19

Very sad... Whats happening to our school... :(

Jack

Tue Mar 9 2010 08:53

First, sorry to the family and friends of those involved.

Second, why am I receiving a text message about a gunman on campus AN HOUR!!!!! after the event occurs. The text message tells me to stay inside AN HOUR!!!!!!!! after the event occurs.

The timing is way off here. I'd rather hear nothing than information AN HOUR!!!!!!!!!! after.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 08:49

I am so saddened for the family of our lost colleague and concerned for the families of those in the hospital.

JB

Tue Mar 9 2010 08:39

This is impossible, OSU is a gun free campus! How can somebody bring a gun to McCracken? Am I to believe there are people out there that will disregard such laws?!

Also, perhaps now OSU will start screening it's employees a bit better. Background checks and drug tests would be a good start, even though the public employee unions would probably raise hell over it.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 9 2010 08:36

Received mine at 4:24am...also received voicemail message...