Local student tells of terror after gunman on US campus
A LOCAL girl studying in America had the shock of her life when her campus was put on lockdown because of a shooter.
‘I was asleep and woke to Jay, my boyfriend, kneeling at the side of my bed heaving a sigh of relief and telling his mum on the phone that I was OK,’ 23-year-old Emily Dawes said.
The lockdown happened on the campus of Youngstown State University at 10.25am on 3 December.
‘Our “Penguin Alert” system [the university portal] had sent both of our phones the following message “The campus is in lockdown. A suspect is currently at large with firearm. Last seen by rec center. All exterior doors are to be locked. All office doors locked. Shelter in place till further notice.”
‘I was disorientated and didn’t know what was going on but Jay told me that there was a suspected shooter and that YSU was on total lockdown,’ she said.
‘Jay had come from work across campus to find me because he had not been able to get hold of me. He had not known at that time if there was an active shooter or not.’
After calling her mother, Miss Dawes feared for her friends and professors who were stuck on campus. Luckily they were all OK.
During the lockdown no one could leave university buildings, and no one could enter them.
YSU has a strict no gun on campus policy. Even students who are trained in firearms are not permitted to carry them on their person.
‘When we heard that there was a possible shooting, we were all bewildered, especially when we learnt the suspect wasn’t even a student.’
YSU takes safety and security of students and faculty very seriously with its own police force and blue-light-system which are emergency stations throughout campus.
‘In the potential shooting police were on scene within minutes of the initial report of a suspect, I want to thank them for keeping my friends and I safe and for not lifting the lockdown until they were certain everyone was at no danger.’
The suspected shooter handed himself in and no injuries were recorded. The lockdown was lifted at 1.14pm.
During a heated discussion in front of the student help desk, the shooter had pulled a gun on another student and then fled.
‘Coming to school in America meant that I was always aware of this risk, but I never imagined that it could happen at YSU.’
Miss Dawes now wants to help make a change to policies and has become involved with the gun debate.
‘As a European student I have found it difficult to speak to American pro-gun students, their world view is very different from my own as is their interpretation of the constitution. Americans pride themselves on their adherence to the constitution, and yet deny lives of the young by not protecting them against preventable gun violence,’ she said.
