Was CSUF safe enough?

Fresno Bee 5/11/07

There are many questions swirling around Monday night's shooting near California State University, Fresno. The university is fielding calls from concerned parents and students, and some are complaining about university officials' action in the matter.

That's to be expected. Campus officials should welcome those inquiries, be transparent with the decision-making process and willingly second-guess their own actions. Don't create more suspicion and more questions by evading tough inquiries.

Could this have been handled better? What information did President John D. Welty have when he decided not to close the campus? What evidence did the police have to conclude that the shooter was not on or near the university campus?

Should the campus have been closed in the early hours when police still had not apprehended the suspect, Jonquel Brooks, who has since been charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder?

If the campus needed to be shut down, how would that be done, given that there is widespread public access to almost every part of the grounds? Could more harm than good have come from thousands of frightened people leaving at one time?

Was the risk to students minimized by the fact the shooting was off-campus? Or was there potential danger to a large number of students while the suspect was at large? How did he escape the apartment complex, even though it was surrounded by police? The suspect shaved his head and changed his clothes to alter his appearance. Could he have had additional plans?

Were the other students and residents of University Village given adequate warnings and information so they could protect themselves?

In this instance, it seems the decisions worked out well. The outcome, tragic for the victims and their families and friends, might have been worse. After hours of negotiations, the suspect surrendered peacefully to police about 11:30 a.m., avoiding what could have become a violent confrontation.

It is important for the community to have a candid conversation about the way the emergency was handled, to have a free exchange of information with the university officials on their decision-making process. Maybe people will be comfortable, maybe not. The university officials need to hear all of it.

When it comes to violence in society, it is important that we be truthful with ourselves and accept the reality that some risks can't be avoided.

Take responsible precautions, but don't impose useless safeguards so that it appears that some action is being taken.

The community has a chance to learn from this incident. Let's do it as openly as possible.