After UNC shooting, local universities see uptick in active shooter training participation
Since the deadly on-campus shooting of a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor by his student in August, university community members have taken steps to be more proactive about protecting their safety.
WRAL Investigates found requests for voluntary active shooter training through UNC have seen a dramatic increase. In the first half of 2023, numbers provided by UNC show there were as few as zero, one, two or three trainings per month.
After August, those numbers climbed to as many as 11 and 19 per month. The same trend is true for North Carolina State University, which went from a few trainings per month to as many as 17.
UNC journalism professor Deb Aikat is among those who recently participated in training.
"I have been at this university 29 years, and the active shooter training was the first I had done," he said.
Aikat recalled being on campus during the Aug. 28 shooting and subsequent lockdown and not knowing what to do.
"I did not feel very well-prepared," Aikat said. "But now that I have gone through these active shooter trainings, and all of the other things I have read up, I feel better prepared."
Sgt. James David with the UNC Police Department performs the trainings for UNC. He has a unique familiarity of campus as a 2010 alum whose only career has been with UNCPD.
"I even worked for the police department when I was a student here as a security guard," he said.
David said the uptick in training requests has come from employees and student groups alike.
UNC declined WRAL Investigates' request to be present for a training, but David said the class focuses on the "run, hide, fight" model.
WRAL Investigates spoke with people who participated in the training who explained David and first responders conduct walk-throughs of UNC buildings, showing participants the best places to exit and to hide.
WRAL's complete coverage of the UNC shooting
Aikat said they also shared helpful tips.
"You can use a belt, a waist belt, and just tie it to the door hinge so that the door will not open," he recalled.
David said he tries to impart confidence in those who take his classes while also reiterating that it's okay to be afraid.
"As an officer, even that day, I was afraid," he said, remembering Aug. 28. "But I had a level of training that still allowed me to respond and do my job ... it's just a great joy to see the confidence this builds in the groups I present to."
WRAL Investigates contacted schools in our area and found Duke, UNC and N.C. State do not require active shooter training.
At Meredith College, active shooter training is only required for students. At Campbell University, it's mandatory only for employees.
As helpful as the training was, Aikat believes it should be a must for all UNC students and staff.
"My quick answer to that would be they should require that ... when we had an actually active shooter situation, a lot of our colleagues and students felt the need for it," Aikat said.
In a statement provided to WRAL News, a UNC spokesperson wrote:
"The University is currently going through the after-action review process for the Aug. 28 shooting, which is critical for implementing changes to our safety policies and procedures. Implementing mandatory training for a campus of 60,000 individuals is a complex endeavor with many logistical challenges. We await the recommendations in the after-action review and will continue to review best practices in campus safety."
