With another mass shooting inching closer to Simpson College’s campus, and hitting the heart of Iowa, Simpson students are on alert about their safety on and off Simpson’s campus. It is for this reason, the college and surrounding establishments have plans in place to minimize harm in such scenarios.
On Sunday, April 19, Iowa City police officers responded to a 1:45 a.m. call of a large fight at the Pedestrian Mall in downtown Iowa City. Upon arrival, officers heard gunfire, and the fight escalated into a mass shooting close to the University of Iowa’s campus.
Five people were injured and transported to the hospital for treatment. Three out of the five victims injured were University of Iowa students. The university sent a “HAWK ALERT” message to students at 2:03 a.m. to inform them that first responders were at the scene with the confirmed victims.
Matt Hansen, the vice president for Student Development, and Chris Freichs, the assistant dean of student safety and security, are both co-chairs of the Emergency Response Planning Team at Simpson.
Both Hansen and Freichs hope for the best for the university as the news of the shooting spread throughout the nation rapidly, and the suspects, who were identified as young adults who do not attend the University of Iowa, are still on the loose.
“We all want our campus communities to be safe places to gather and celebrate, without fear of violence,” Hansen said.
Simpson also has a system similar to the University of Iowa’s “HAWK ALERT,” called “Simpson S.A.F.E. Alerts.” These alerts are sent from the “RAVE Guardian” app, which is designed to text and email the campus with information ranging from weather updates to active assailant alerts.
“In the event of an active assailant emergency, the emergency responders take control of the situation and response, though we would be in constant communication with them,” Hansen said. “We can use that system [S.A.F.E. Alerts] to send ongoing updates and the ultimate ‘all clear’ as well.”
Last October, the Indianola Police Department held an active assailant training session on campus to prepare students and faculty for these situations.
Simpson community members can also access the emergency response plan for various scenarios at any time on the SC Connect website, under the forms tab.
The incident at the University of Iowa occurred at a local mall, which is located near several bars, restaurants, shops and hotels. A similar setup to the Indianola Square, which is down the road from Simpson’s campus. Students frequent bars down at the Square often, such as Mojo’s Bar or The Zoo.
Brooks Wood has been working at The Zoo for eight years and has bartended for 20 years in total. Wood was astonished at the thought of someone bringing a gun near a bar after learning about the shooting near the University of Iowa.
Wood said that in his eight years at The Zoo, he’s never seen a fight there, and when they do occur, most bartenders aim to separate people before the situation escalates into violence; if necessary, the staff asks individuals to leave the premises.
“For bartenders, you just got to keep an eye on it. Just be aware,” Wood said.
At The Zoo, Wood can keep an eye on everyone from behind the counter, but some places might not have the same advantage. He also doesn’t feel the need to worry about students causing more trouble at the bar than any other regularly intoxicated customer.
“Most people, when they go out, they’re just trying to have a good time. Obviously, add alcohol into the equation, there’s going to be some disagreements and arguments,” Wood said.
As of right now, The Zoo has no direct training on what to do in active-assailant situations, rather than calling the police, who are located two blocks away from the bar.
Sophomore political science and legal studies major Aleksa Pettyjohn said she was concerned after hearing about the Iowa City shooting and a Campus Safety Alert at Simpson sent via email on April 11.
“I feel like security should be around for that,” Pettyjohn said. “With everything going on, it [the shooting] should be something that heightens our senses a little bit and makes the school want to incorporate more things, to prepare us, or add more cameras, more security measures.”
The report stated that a Simpson student was approached by a non-Simpson community member in the Barker Hall parking lot. The student drove out of the lot, and the community member proceeded to follow them in their own car.
The Indianola Police Department was contacted, and an arrest was made off campus.
“There is no ongoing threat to campus. Staff is providing support to the student involved,” Frerichs and Hansen wrote in the email.
Frerichs commented on the situation
“As soon as Simpson Security was notified, we reached out to the involved and discussed the incident and future safety measures. Security also spoke directly with the Indianola Police Department.”
Frerichs, the rest of the security team and student staff are committed to working together to maintain a safe campus.
For support, contact counseling services in Student Development. For immediate assistance, utilize the following resources: National Suicide Hotline 988, Disaster Distress Helpline (800) 985-5990 and Essential Community Services 211.
