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Campus lockdown ends safely

Students gather in the Cullom-Davis Library basement during Monday night’s lockdown after gunshots were reported on Bourland Avenue. Photo by Michael Echeverri.
Students gather in the Cullom-Davis Library basement during Monday night’s lockdown after gunshots were reported on Bourland Avenue. Photo by Michael Echeverri.

At 11:11 p.m. Monday night, students received a BU foreWarn text message that said, “Lockdown immediately. Shots fired/armed person area of 1106 Bourland. Suspect headed West. Wait for further instructions.”

Three more forewarn messages were sent, tracking the progress of the incident that enacted the initial message.

Lockdown procedures were enacted all over campus. The public announcement system was used, instructing students to go inside. Students gathered in the Cullom-Davis Library basement, the Michael Student Center and the Marty Theatre.

A safety alert email was sent at 12:51 a.m. Tuesday confirming the all-clear and clarifying the pertinent details to the incident.

Bradley University Police Department (BUPD) Chief Brian Joschko said further details could not be released because the incident is still under official investigation by the Peoria Police Department.

However, he did confirm no students were involved and no one was injured.

“We continue to solicit feedback regarding the response to the lockdown,” Joschko said. “At the Coffee with a Cop, the BUPD event on Wednesday evening, several students thanked us for the manner in which the incident was handled. We have also met with members of the BUPD’s Student Safety Advisory Committee to obtain feedback.”

Senior mechanical engineering major Kevin Millen said he was in a friend’s apartment when he heard about the shooting via foreWarn messages.

“I’d say [it was handled well],” Millen said. “I got several notifications.”

According to Joschko, the initial gunshot was reported by ShotSpotter technology, a system of microphones set up to detect gunshots. Joschko said the system works by recording gunshot sounds, which when confirmed as actual gunshots, are sent to dispatch for officers to investigate.

This technology can pinpoint the sound of the gunshots within 75 feet of where the gun was fired. According to Joschko, the ShotSpotter is substantially more effective than traditional methods, and allows police officers to react more quickly.

Joschko said after every incident, an assessment is designed to identify successes as well as opportunities for improvements, which is currently under way for Monday night’s lockdown.

“Our campus does not have experience with real-life lockdowns, so there will be opportunities to change the processes that were not previously identified in testing scenarios,” Joschko said. “I cannot stress enough how proud I am of the response of the BUPD team.”

Safety procedures:

Procedure for lockdowns are typically given during a presentation at freshman orientation, so for the majority of students, an official refresher is needed.

According to the BUPD website, students should get into a room, lock or block the door, shut off the lights and lock the windows during a lockdown. They should also remember to stay out of sight and await further instructions.

Phones can be registered for the BU foreWarn text system at mybu.bradley.edu in the “Emergency Text Messaging” tab under the “My Info” tab. If the service is not working, the phone number might have to be updated.

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