IUSB Lockdown for "Man With Gun" Call

[Serial Crusher]

IUSB locked down the campus library for 45 minutes because of a call about a man with a gun. I got three separate emails from the campus alert system about it

"story" here: Reported man with gun puts Indiana University South Bend in to lockdown Friday afternoon

 

[Serial Crusher]

Campus alert email that was sent to me:

IU South Bend police responded to a report of a man with a gun at the Library this afternoon (8/20). The Library was evacuated and searched and nothing suspicious was found. The Library was then re-opened. Police have no reason to believe the suspect is still on campus but continue to be on the lookout.

The suspect was described by the witness as a white or Asian male, approximately 70 years old, 5'5" with a thin build, beige pants, blue button-down shirt, salt-and-pepper hair with a white or gray hat.

If you see this person call 911 or IU South Bend Police at 520-4239.

There's still nothing int the log they post on their site (as of 8/20/10 18:00)

 

[JoshuaW]

I like how nobody was ever found. Im not saying the guy didnt exist, just that its obvious the police cant respond fast enough. In the time it took to get the campus on lock down and for the police to respond, the guy had moved on. Just imagine if this guy had been planning to commit a crime, or had already committed a crime. He would be dust in the wind. (Obviously he didnt or wasnt planning to, as far as we know)

 

[christman]

Im never a fan of locking down any place that has adults in it. They are free to make their own choices on survival.

Now kids schools..By all means. Lock them down with anything they can to keep them safe no matter what. Just keep the parents informed asap. Glad no oen got hurt.

 

[esrice]

I'm curious as to what the threshold is for a response like this to take place.

So if an OCer with a valid LTCH was walking across a parking lot and someone called the police to report a "MWG", would the same lockdown/emails/alerts response happen?

 

[Orsetto Lavatore]

I have seen non-security personnel with guns on the IUSB campus.

Just last semester, a sudden gust of wind lifted the corner of a "Hawaiian" shirt just long enough to catch a gimps of a Glock IWB. The guy was laughing things up having a good time with his friends out on the lawn. The area surrounding IUSB isn't exactly Disney land, so I don't blame him for carrying.

Campus security needs to accept that there ARE guns on campus at any given time. The LEAST they could do is allow law-abiding students with CHP's to carry where complete strangers can.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

The LEAST they could do is allow law-abiding students with CHP's to carry where complete strangers can.

I think it should be expanded beyond students not in the company of the California Highway Patrol.*


*Yes, this is Kirk's First Law and it counts toward rhino's total debt.

 

[Comp]

So, an old man carried a gun to class in not the best part of town..... they locked it down WHY?

If I were an old skinny 70 year old man with weak bones around 20 year old strong men, I'd do the same. You should see some of the people I've seen on campus. I'd say 10% of the people I see on campus are on some sort of drugs and would have no problem targeting an old guy for 15 bucks. Granted the reported statistics only had like 2 violent crimes and I think 2 rapes in the handbook.

 

[Comp]

Another thing that bugs me is:

As an adult how would you like to be held against your will during a lock down in a library? I donno, maybe hunkering down is a good idea if you have no means of defense but personally, I wouldn't mind the option of getting out of dodge if I had means to defend myself on the move to my car.

 

[Serial Crusher]

Yeah, it really seems like a great way to cause a hostage situation.

There's not mention of it in the crime log for today on the IUSB site, but the log is timestamped 5 minutes before I received the first notice of the lockdown. I'm pretty eager to see what they have to say about it.

http://www.iusb.edu/~iupdsb/crime_logs/08-20-10.pdf

http://www.iusb.edu/~iupdsb/crime_log.shtml

 

[lashicoN]

Iiiiiiiiinterestiiiiiiiing. Hmmm. Since firearms are "banned" by IUSB at IUSB what would happen if a few times a week an INGO member or two took an Open Carry stroll through the campus and got the place locked down...day, after day, after day, after day?

Would they petition the government to make it illegal to carry on campuses or would they drop the ban because they couldn't function on constant lock-down?

 

[beararms1776]

The way it reads is that the person that locked down the library is the one that had the gun. No wonder they couldnt find him.

 

[Serial Crusher]

I missed it last year, but there is a day specified by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus - ConcealedCampus.com as an empty holster day. I'm thinking I need to do this and possibly organize a day for it. I have a big nasty Safariland OWB that would be pretty hard to overlook.

 

[Gabriel]

I like how nobody was ever found. Im not saying the guy didnt exist, just that its obvious the police cant respond fast enough. In the time it took to get the campus on lock down and for the police to respond, the guy had moved on. Just imagine if this guy had been planning to commit a crime, or had already committed a crime. He would be dust in the wind. (Obviously he didnt or wasnt planning to, as far as we know)

Maybe he was just working on the lighting system out back.

 

[Serial Crusher]

Maybe he was just working on the lighting system out back.

Uncomfortably close to the IU Credit Union

 

[JoshuaW]

Iiiiiiiiinterestiiiiiiiing. Hmmm. Since firearms are "banned" by IUSB at IUSB what would happen if a few times a week an INGO member or two took an Open Carry stroll through the campus and got the place locked down...day, after day, after day, after day?

Would they petition the government to make it illegal to carry on campuses or would they drop the ban because they couldn't function on constant lock-down?

The media would blow it out of proportion (our area is a relatively nice mix of politics, but ALL of the local media outlets LOVE anything that could possibly be a story, as do most media outlets). This would probably result in someone proposing a ban on carry on campus, whether it was the university or not. I would hope it wouldnt pass though.

Uncomfortably close to the IU Credit Union

Exactly the same thing I was thinking!

 

[POC]

I CAN NOT understand why it's not legal to carry everywhere.

I know it is a cliche now, but, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

 

[Serial Crusher]

I CAN NOT understand why it's not legal to carry everywhere.

I know it is a cliche now, but, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

Precisely my point. Anyone who is committing c misdemeanor possession is by definition a criminal. Anyone with an LTCH is by definition a law abiding citizen.

 

[Cru]

I attend IUK not IUSB but I want to organize something to make it so students with a LTCH can carry on campus.

 

[WWIIIDefender]

They lock down IVY tech all the time for drills involving a school shooting. Whenever they do I simply stand up and walk out. They always tell me I am not allowed to leave and I simply tell them that I pay for the school and I never relenquished my rights to them and it is not there responsibility to keep me safe and say good day and leave. Only I am incharge of my safetly every one else can lick my &)*_*