On the evening of Monday, October 30, 2017, silence fell over the University of Utah campus. A Campus Alert lit up my phone, “Shots fired, Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in place”.
Thoughts rushed through my head… Is this really happening? Is this really happening on MY campus? Shootings happen every day all over the world, but when it happens blocks away from your home that is when it truly hits you.
I received countless texts, Facebook and Group Me messages making sure that I was okay. When I was sending out similar messages checking in on the people I love I realized something, in times like this communities come together. Tonight, even though the circumstances were unfortunate, the University of Utah stood as one. Making sure everyone was safe, offering up homes as shelter, and keeping people updated on the status of the shooting.
Police cars and ambulances raced all around campus and helicopters flew through the sky searching the hills for the suspect. People were locked out of their dorms and TRAX was shut down. The entire student body of the University of Utah stayed still, holding their breath, waiting for any news from the police.
This terrible incident shows the importance of having groups of people on campus that you feel safe with and can rely on. Whether you are far from home or in the neighborhood where you grew up, it is so important to have that support system in the campus community. The communication throughout the entire evening from student to student and beyond was incredible. Social media gave people a platform to share with their friends and family that they were safe. Parents were calling parents and everyone’s number one priority was the safety of the U of U community.
Please stay safe and be there for one another in this crazy time. We are the University of Utah and we stand together.