On Monday night, a mass shooting occurred at Michigan State University, where a gunman killed three students and injured five others at Michigan State University. This comes less than two years after a shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School.
According to the New York Times, the gunman first opened fire in Berkey Hall around 8:30 p.m., killing two people immediately. Soon after, a third person was shot in the Michigan State student union. Both buildings were unlocked and open to the public.
Dave Honan, associate vice president for public safety and Anthony Bellamy, chief of Cornell Police sent a joint email to members of the Ithaca and AgriTech campus communities midday Tuesday.
In the message, Honan and Bellamy informed students that CornellALERTs will be sent to students’ mobile phone numbers and email addresses in case of any health and safety threats to the campus community, including active weapon and explosive device threats and extreme weather incidents.
The email also notes that Cornell’s Facebook and Twitter pages will be home to real-time updates in the case of “any evolving situation.”
Honan and Bellamy urged students to review the Run-Hide-Fight procedure in the case of an active shooter and to become familiar with exits in both residential and academic buildings.
“Do not allow unauthorized people into secure facilities. Anyone who is meant to be in your space will have a key, card access or an individual signing them in,” the statement read, urging students to report any suspicious activity to the Cornell Public Safety Communications Center phone line.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences also issued a statement to its students. Student services offered mental health resources such as a “grief and loss” pamphlet and a 24/7 help hotline.
“This devastating and senseless loss of life has become far too common across the country,” the email stated. “During times like this, we need to grieve, but we also must remember the values that define us and bind us together, calling upon our collegial and caring CALS community.”
Honan and Bellamy’s email referred students to community support resources, which included Counseling and Psychological Services and a Cornell Health document about Grief and Loss.