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Chancellor Kent Syverud and other Syracuse University officials provided updates and information on the university’s safety procedures and resources in the case of an active threat following Monday’s shooting at Michigan State University.

The shooting, in which three students were killed and five were hospitalized, happened at MSU’s Berkey Hall. According to an MSU Police News Release, the shooter was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police located them.

After the shooting at MSU was confirmed at 8:18 pm, ABC News reported, the suspect was located at 12:28 a.m after approximately four hours of a shelter-in-place order. The New York Times also reported that MSU’s police struggled with at least 90 “false alarm” calls.

In an address at Wednesday’s University Senate meeting, Syverud emphasized the importance of students being aware of the safety resources available on campus and knowing how to use them in the event of a threat at SU. He said preventing events like the shooting at MSU is SU’s priority.

“Our university has been across the entire leadership aggressively preparing and training for these moments,” Syverud said at the meeting. “But we also prepare to react, respond and minimize the threat to our communities to keep it as safe as possible. It is easy to forget between the events, the steps and resources available.”

Craig Stone, the associate vice president and chief of the Department of Public Safety at SU, also wrote in a campus-wide email Friday that in an active shooter situation, students should contact DPS directly and immediately.

In 2022, DPS introduced an active shooter protocol called “Run. Hide. Fight,” which includes video instructions on SU’s dedicated webpage. DPS encourages the campus community to familiarize themselves with the model in order to be prepared for an emergency, like an active shooter situation.

In response to a former football player at the University of Virginia who shot and killed three football players three months ago, Stone emphasized the importance of training and having the proper resources to continue to respond effectively to related threats.

In a September interview with The Daily Orange, Stone said SU’s response time to calls from its blue light system is two minutes.

Alongside Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves, Stone also highlighted various safety resources for students in case of emergency, including SU’s Orange Safe app and Orange Alert system.

The Orange Safe app enables students to directly call 911 for off-campus emergencies or connect with the Department of Public Safety for on-campus emergencies, and includes features like On Campus BlueLight, Safe Walk, Tip Reporting and Social Escape.

In emergency situations, including immediate, on-campus threats, the Orange Alert notification system uses e-mail, text messaging and landline calls to send SU students, faculty and staff about an emergency and instructions on what to do next.

Syverud also expressed his condolences to the victims and MSU campus community, saying he contacted the school’s administration on behalf of the SU community, as he did following the mass shooting at the University of Virginia in November.

“I wish I could promise that an event like this will never happen here,” Syverud said. “I wish I could guarantee that we can take steps that will guarantee that it never happens here. Unfortunately, in the situation we’re in currently in this country, I can’t make those promises.”

Published on February 20, 2023 at 12:30 am