BYU NewsNet - Students, Faculty Should be Alert for Suspicious Behavior

By Cole Smith and Heather Whittle

Recent school shootings have caused some to wonder whether students at BYU are prepared to react to an active gunman situation.

To date, BYU has not had any school shootings or any official record of attempted shootings. However, there have been many incidents in which guns have been confiscated from individuals. Happy Valley is not exempt from the possibility of a gun-related tragedy.

BYU’s current gun policy does not allow guns on campus. The BYU Handbook states, “Brigham Young University prohibits the possession or use of firearms and weapons on property owned or controlled by the university, including residence halls.” But the mere presence of such a policy won’t necessarily stop someone from having a gun on campus.

“If there’s a gun at a fight, there’s a gun in the fight,” said Lt. Aaron Rhoades of the BYU Police Department. “If someone decides they’re going to take someone out, they decide the date, time and place.”

BYU police acknowledge that students and faculty need to be better informed of what to do in the event of a school shooting.

To be more prepared, students need to have what Sgt. Matt Andrus refers to as a survival mindset, which involves awareness, preparation and rehearsal.

Awareness involves getting out of the area if there is any hint of danger. Preparation involves having an exit strategy and asking what if – what if a shooter were to enter the room, or what if gunshots were heard? Rehearsal involves being familiar with all possible escape routes as well as the entire area.

“In that stressful situation, when bullets start flying, everyone is going to have the same reaction, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to die!’ They panic,” Andrus said. “People with a plan will know what to do and have a better chance of getting out ok.”

The BYU Police Department is in the process of attaching to its Web site a professionally produced video for students and faculty on how to handle an active gunman situation. The video will be available within a few months.

“Our biggest push is for students to report suspicious behavior … or students with dangerous behavior,” Rhoades said. “The student body is the best eyes and ears we have.”

According to Andrus, there have been few active shooter incidents nationwide where there were not prior indicators or red flags.