Colleges and universities learned from the communications failures during the Virginia Tech massacre, and many have established emergency plans that use various forms of technology to warn students of a security risk. This morning, Casper College in Casper, Wyo., faced a shooting on campus and used Twitter as one avenue to alert the community and communicate with students and faculty during the crisis.
All classes and public events on campus are closed for today because of the homicide. More information still forthcoming.
— Casper College (@CasperCollege) November 30, 2012
The Campus is officially on lock down. If you are on campus, please lock your classroom/office doors and wait for… http://t.co/NqEDkbiN
— Casper College (@CasperCollege) November 30, 2012
Police have officially lifted the lock down.
— Casper College (@CasperCollege) November 30, 2012
A Casper College instructor notes how he and students got word of the shooting:
Political science instructor Chris Henrichsen said he was showing the film “Frost/Nixon” to his Wyoming and U.S. government class when he stepped into the hall to get something for a student and was told a homicide had occurred on campus.
He went back to his classroom, where students were getting messages about the campus lockdown on their phones.
Local media and students also used Twitter to relay information and rumors about the crime and to let friends and family know that they were okay.
Shooting just reported at Casper Wyoming Community College – Stay away from campus!
— Joni Crane (@jonisfrontporch) November 30, 2012
NCSD schools on lockdown as a result of Casper College shooting. Reporters en route, link shortly
— David Mayberry (@David_Mayberry) November 30, 2012
CC F'book: "If you are on campus, please lock your classroom/office doors and wait for further instruction." #cchom
— David Mayberry (@David_Mayberry) November 30, 2012
https://twitter.com/kmars32/statuses/274555014415015938
https://twitter.com/BorahMariah/statuses/274561774429274113
https://twitter.com/austynmiller/statuses/274564279745802240
@austynmiller I am ok. It is insane. Hits to close too home unfortunately
— Jared Barham (@JaredBarham) November 30, 2012
@austynmiller I don't have a ton of details. The rumor mill is flying though.
— Jared Barham (@JaredBarham) November 30, 2012
https://twitter.com/austin_madethis/statuses/274564605425115136
https://twitter.com/matt_bowlin24/statuses/274565924718247937
Preliminary story on shooting that killed one person at Casper County Community College in Wyomiong. http://t.co/nBKlzDY3
— Harold Reutter (@hreutter) November 30, 2012
Three now reported dead in Casper College shooting.
— Christine Fankhauser (@cjfanky) November 30, 2012
The Casper Star Tribune is reporting that three people have died in the Casper College shooting.
CASPER, Wyo. —… http://t.co/ruRvBPbb
— CBS NewsChannel 5 (@kgwntv) November 30, 2012
Touchingly, others immediately tweeted their support to the school of roughly 4,000 students.
@CasperCollege – our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
— Folsom Lake College (@flcfalcons) November 30, 2012
@CasperCollege we are with you, anything we can do, we will -NWCCD Sheridan College Student Senate.
— King JJ (@kingJJ_9) November 30, 2012
Asking all to pray for my friends, Fred and Pat Brunner in Casper, Wyoming. A gunman has been shooting up the college there.
— Doug Burroughs (@dburroughs) November 30, 2012
Whoa. There has been a shooting at Casper College.
— Chris Mickey (@CMickey67) November 30, 2012
https://twitter.com/flyybutterfly/statuses/274572169659424769
My thoughts and prayers go out to the people involved in the Casper College shooting.
— Jordan Blazovich (@jblazovich) November 30, 2012
This shooting, like those before it, appears to have been a senseless act of violence and it will be hours before a fuller picture of what occurred is released.
What is newsworthy about this attack is how the school and the surrounding community, from journalists to students and local citizens, used modern technology to warn each other of the attack almost immediately. There will always be confusion, uncertainty, and rumor during incidents of this type but thanks to modern technology, the ability to voice warnings and share sorrow is now almost instantaneous.
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