With Monday’s shooting near Texas A&M University, the recent Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting and last month’s Aurora, CO massacre, it may seem like your safety is at risk whenever you leave your home.

For DePaul students, this does not appear to be much of an issue. DePaul sophomore Tim McElroy said he still feels safe at school despite the recent gun violence.

“I like to think that the students, staff, and public safety are responsible and cohesive enough to react in a proper manner if, God forbid, something did happen,” Elroy said.

Students, however, do seem to think that the likelihood of another shooting has increased, but not just on campus. Most of the students interviewed agreed that this stems from the coverage of these crimes in the media, which sometimes leads to the gunman gaining an unlikely following. James Holmes, the alleged gunman in the Colorado Cineplex shooting, has developed a league of Tumblr followers called “Holmies” who either empathize with the alleged murderer or support his actions.

DePaul student Matt Baker perceives that, “Any time the media brings attention to a shooting with constant news coverage, there’s a statistical probability of similar crimes.”

However, there are sometimes warning signs from gunmen before they act. Thomas Caffall, the alleged shooter of four people near Texas A&M University, was described as “crazy as hell” and a “ticking time bomb” by his stepfather. Jared Loughner, the convicted gunman behind the Tucson shooting that severely injured former Senator Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, was prone to outbursts at Aztec Middle College and would ask incoherent questions in class.

These warning signs are why DePaul takes safety measures to make sure that the well being of all students and faculty is maintained. With amenities offered like DePaul Student Health Services and University Counseling Services, the DePaul population is able to be referred or seek assistance themselves if a problem or future disturbance is sensed.

DePaul Public Safety’s mission statement reads, “DePaul University’s Public Safety Office, guided by ethical, legal and professional standards, strives to maintain a peaceful and safe environment for the students, faculty, staff, visitors and neighbors, and to protect university property.”
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