There have been more mass shootings in America in 2019, than there have been days in the year. A total of 283 shooting thus far have exemplified the nation wide need for strict gun control. The Atlanta University Center was no stranger to being an example of this need when four, first-year female students were shot at an outdoor gathering the night before classes began.
The shooting left the campus frigid. First-year students watched their peers face life or death circumstances on their beloved place of learning. Returning and first-year students alike were faced with immense trauma, with their minds taking them back to their hometowns, that they left hoping to avoid circumstances like this. On the opposite side of the spectrum, this was many students first direct encounter with gun-violence, which left them shaken.
Kia Thomas, Clark Atlanta University ’21, Photographed by The AJC
The Atlanta University Center (AUC for short) houses three of the nation’s Black Ivy league institutions; Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College. While HBCUs in particular are known for strict campus safety policies, this gathering fell short of protection as it was not a school sanctioned event. Thus, students were left at their own attendance at the gathering near the university’s shared library.
The shooter, was a male identified directly in press releases. He is not enrolled into either of the institutions and has since then turned himself into the Atlanta Police Department, as of September 5th, 2019.
While his arrest provides a comfort to a community harmed by the incident just a few weeks ago, his impact on the campus is set to last forever.
Immediately after the shooting, all three institutions teamed up to provide to cross campus security. Prior to, each individual campus would be monitored by its own security. Security would be placed at locations of entry/exit and near dorm rooms. Now, security is on every corner of every institution, patrolling campuses outside of their own.
In addition to increased security, the Clark Atlanta University football department has released a new bag policy for entrance at home games. As seen below, bags bigger than wallets or clutches will not be permitted unless they are transparent.
There is no statement attached to the policy being a result of the shooting, however it is highly interpreted by students that the two go hand in hand.