Some call for changes to alerts after Raleigh shooting

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Some call for changes to alerts following Raleigh shooting

Tags:

wake county, nc state, homicide, shooting, local/state, shae crisson

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- As investigators piece together what drove a man to shoot and kill his ex-wife at Cameron Village Monday, parents and college students are questioning how the community was alerted of the potential danger and when it all came to an end.

Some N.C. State students are expressing their concerns that they weren't told for several hours that a shooting happened so close to campus.

The crime warning was emailed to students just before 1 p.m. , which was nearly three and a half hours after the shooting.

Students immediately posting their concerns online asking "isn't that close enough to campus?"

Others recalled a Wolf Alert being sent out when someone thought a student's NERF gun in a zombie war was the real deal.

Monday's warning stated the shooter was heading north, which is the opposite direction of campus. Still students said they expect better communication in the future.

"They should let us know when it happens," said NCSU freshman Codee Evans. "They should send out some sort of alert like, 'Hey, we're looking for this guy if you don't want to be like be in the area -- get out or stay inside for a while,' but that obviously was not what they did."

"I guess the timing was kind of bad since it happened earlier in the day, but I'm glad they did let us know eventually," said NCSU senior Chet Sigmon.

"We definitely need to know sooner than later," said NCSU senior Benjamen Edwards.

"We've heard that loud and clear and we're already putting systems in place to ensure that, even if there's not an imminent threat, we need to do a better job of letting our community campus know that and know what's going on," said NCSU Communications Chief Brad Bohlander.

Wake County parents were also concerned after more than a dozen schools went on lockdown. Robo calls alerting parents to the situation went out in the morning, but follow up calls were not made in the afternoon giving the all clear.

School officials said they are reviewing their response and considering changes as well.

Representatives from both N.C. State and Wake County Schools said there was no immediate threat to students at any time, something they want to re-enforce.