Tragedy at Virginia Tech: What Now?

Since I learned of the tragedy at Virginia Tech April 16, I have been glued to CNN waiting for updates, video and pictures. I can't help but imagine myself sitting in a university classroom at the same time. As I picture myself in the seats of the victims, it gives me goosegumps to hear stories of those who played dead, jumped out windows or held their feet against the door to prevent the shooter from entering.

That said, this is an act that could have happened anywhere. In an office building, a subway car or an auditorium. Increased security on college campuses is a natural response as we all look for answers and ways to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, but it's not logical. If there are metal detectors outside lecture halls, then there needs to be the same precautions taken in almost any enclosed space people go. Shootings are not unique to college campuses.

What is unique to college campuses is the police response and communication to the campus community. Virginia Tech has been criticized for assuming the shooter left campus and failing to notify the community about the early-morning shooting in an appropriate amount of time. I have to agree this was a key mistake. A single shooting on a campus, particularly in a campus dorm, is a serious security issue. The campus should have been shut down and the police should have immediately sought to get the suspect into custody. A brief email notifying students and faculty to remain at home may have kept many from attending classes, and kept them safe.

But, the real issue here isn't an inadequate security response. Although we may never truly know the killer's reasons, we have an obligation to explore the issue of crime in America and what drives people to commit such vicious acts, and the weapons that allow them to do so. In the next coming days the media will reveal bits of pieces of the killer's life, and perhaps we can look at what happened more thoughtfully without placing blame on university officials.