 "Photo:")
Screams rang out through Kendall Hall Wednesday morning when police entered the building to respond to a threat during a scheduled active shooter drill.
During the drill, a student carrying two guns and a bomb entered Kendall Hall and took several hostages in Student Judicial Affairs, police said. He had been kicked out of student housing and faced possible expulsion from the university.
The student shot one employee and barricaded himself in the office, said University Police Chief Eric Reichel. Police carrying assault rifles, shotguns and gun shields came in through the main entrance and made their way to the suspect through adjoining offices.
Officers negotiated with the suspect over the phone and convinced him to surrender, Reichel said. The student eventually came out, was handcuffed and arrested, but not before firing several rounds into the ceiling.
Nobody was injured during the exercise and police did not use live ammunition.
The drill also allowed the university to test its emergency notification system on a large scale for the first time, said Joe Wills, director of public affairs and publications. The system, which sends announcements to students and faculty via phone, text message or e-mail, had only been tested on a much smaller scale in the past.
At about 9:05 a.m., the system sent out a notice to the campus about the exercise. Those who had signed up with the system were also told when the drill was over.
This was the second time a shooter drill has been done, Reichel said, The first was in Yolo Hall last August, but this was the first time police took a "multi-faceted approach." This drill was a combination of a shooting threat and hostage negotiation exercise.
About 11 officers participated in the drill, and members of the Chico Police Department, as well as Community Service Officers assisted, he said.
Members of the administration, such as Lorraine Hoffman, vice president of business and finance, served as observers during the exercise. Preparing for threats is always a good thing, and the drill was a step in the right direction, she said.
Sometimes minor glitches, such as radio malfunction, can occur during exercises, but overall the drill was a success, Reichel said.
"I think it went very well," he said. "There was nothing major that I had concerns about."
Evan Burt can be reached at eburt@theorion.com
Be the first to comment on this article!