Va. College’s Active Shooter Response Deemed Ineffectual

ANNANDALE, Va.—When Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) campus police responded to an active shooter last fall, they did not have floor plans or master keys to enter the rooms or buildings, only nine out of 45 security cameras were operating and the campus was not prepared to immediately issue emergency alerts, according to an internal report requested by the college president. 

Freshman math student Jason Hamilton allegedly walked into a classroom with a .30-06 rifle Dec. 8 and fired two shots at his instructor, reports the Washington Post. The teacher was able to see the gun and take cover just as bullets were shot over her head. When the gun jammed, terrified students fled the room, and Hamilton reportedly leaned the rifle against the wall, sat down and waited for police to arrive. His trial is set for August.

NVCC President Robert G. Templin Jr. ordered an “After Incident Review” from the Office of Emergency Planning and appointed a commission to review safety and security practices across the school’s various sites.

In the 16-page report, the commission notes that business managers at all six campuses, who also serve as designated emergency response coordinators, do not have enough time to focus on security and most likely don’t have the adequate training, the report stated.

All NVCC campuses are installing locks on all classroom doors that can be operated by those inside the rooms, according to the report. Additionally, two of the campuses will have electronic card access devices installed on doors to the buildings.

Furthermore, the college will install an Early Alert Warning System at the Woodbridge and Springfield campuses that can be heard anywhere in campus buildings. The installation is the result of student complaints that they weren’t given good information on what was happening during the incident. However, because of funding, the other four campuses would not receive the same system.

The report also claimed that 36 of the 45 security cameras on campus were not operating at the time of shooting, and that the software used to operate the cameras was not dependable. School officials are now monitoring the system and replacing the software.

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