Texas Tech shooter prompts Wildcat safety questions

Braelyn Swan, Staff writer

The saying goes “it will never happen here.” Then it does and no one is prepared. After an active shooter scare at Texas Tech, Linfield officers wonder how ready Wildcats are.

A Texas Tech freshman Hollis Daniels was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia on Oct. 9. While at the Texas Tech Police Department, Daniels pulled a gun and shot officer Floyd East Jr. The student ran, initiating a lockdown of the campus until he was apprehended.

In the event of a lockout or lockdown at Linfield, an email and/or text message will be sent to all students and faculty. This has been performed in drills such as The Great Oregon Shakeout Drill that occurred Oct. 19.

Campus Safety Director Ronald Noble says students are likely to know about any threat before they receive a message from CPS. There is about a 10-minute delay because of Campus Safety’s response protocol.

When CPS receives an alert of a possible threat on campus, the initial response is to help. The team members then proceed to assess the situation before sending a message to students to lockout or lockdown.

Posters around campus dictate instructions on what to do in case of a lockout and lockdown. Lockouts are initiated if there is a threat or hazard outside a building. In this event, students would stay inside and lock outside doors but continue with “business as usual,” meaning classes for students.

Lockdowns are initiated when the threat increases. In this situation, Wildcats should lock all doors, turn out lights, and avoid being seen or heard.

Noble says that in response to the shooting at Umpqua Community College, all Linfield doors were designed to be locked from the inside.

Noble says he has observed that students are more likely to stand by than they are to take action in these situations.

Safety guidelines posted around campus additionally say to “hide and prepare to defend yourself” in the event of a lock down. Noble says that students’ best option is to run if possible. If not, the next best option is to hide. If both options fail, he says not to give up and to fight.

Sophomore Stacie Johnson says she would “Lock and bolt doors, stay away from windows, and keep blinds closed.”

Noble leaves students with one last request: “The most important thing is to act—we don’t expect people to be heroes, but do something.”