Active Shooter at Ohio State University

[TravelingChris]

I am praying for the victims and for a safe resolution quickly.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/28/us/ohio-state-university-active-shooter/index.html

[lovinmyboys]

They are now reporting the shooter is dead.

[Kassia]

I have two sons on campus there.  They are safe and all of their friends are safe.  One of my sons witnessed a high school shooting just 4 1/2 years ago (Chardon, OH).  This is horrifying.  

[Harriet Vane]

They are now reporting the shooter is dead.

 

 

Not confirmed by local news sources. Law enforcement still concentrated around parking garage with new SWAT unit just arrived.

 

7 hospitalized, 1 dead. Shooter believed to be at large. All local schools locked down.

[MEmama]

OH, no. :(

[MEmama]

We have friends who teach there, and lots of friends in town.

So weary of worrying.

[MEmama]

I can't go to news sites, so I'll be checking in here for updates.

[MEmama]

I have two sons on campus there. They are safe and all of their friends are safe. One of my sons witnessed a high school shooting just 4 1/2 years ago (Chardon, OH). This is horrifying.

((Hugs))

[lovinmyboys]

The shelter in place order has been lifted and the scene is secure according to OSU.

 

Praying for all of those affected.

Edited November 28, 2016 by lovinmyboys

[MEmama]

DS just talked to a couple friends there. They are safe but still on lock down. I can't imagine.

 

So angry.

[lovinmyboys]

Now it sounds like it may have been an active attacker-not necessarily an active shooter.

 

So far it sounds like no one (other than the suspect) was killed. Hopefully that is true.

Edited November 28, 2016 by lovinmyboys

[SKL]

One story I read said that there was a fire drill, a suspect ran over about 30 people with a car, then started slashing people.

 

Not sure if the suspect had a gun, or if the shooting was someone stopping the slasher.

[Jyhwkmama]

No gun. This was a stabbing/slashing.

 

Still so awful.

[TravelingChris]

Apparently there was a fire drill pulled and people were streaming out the door.  Then a car ran into the building with people in front.  Also (I guess the same person but unknown at this time), one faculty member was attacked with a machete.  There were also reports of shots fired.  Very unclear how many were attacked with a machete, how many by the car smashing into them, if anyone was shot, and any other injuries.  

[TravelingChris]

Here is the latest after the news conference.  THe suspect drove a SUV , jumped a curve and drove into people in front of a building.  Then he jumped out and started slashing/cutting/stabbing people with a large butcher knife.  A campus police was in the area, told him to drop the weapon, he didn't and he was shot.  A few people had to have operations for the injuries but no one is in a life threatening situation at the hospital.

[MEmama]

Here is the latest after the news conference. THe suspect drove a SUV , jumped a curve and drove into people in front of a building. Then he jumped out and started slashing/cutting/stabbing people with a large butcher knife. A campus police was in the area, told him to drop the weapon, he didn't and he was shot. A few people had to have operations for the injuries but no one is in a life threatening situation at the hospital.

Thanks for the update.

[goldberry]

:crying:  :crying:  :crying:

[Guest]

Here is the latest after the news conference. THe suspect drove a SUV , jumped a curve and drove into people in front of a building. Then he jumped out and started slashing/cutting/stabbing people with a large butcher knife. A campus police was in the area, told him to drop the weapon, he didn't and he was shot. A few people had to have operations for the injuries but no one is in a life threatening situation at the hospital.

Thanks for the info! I'm glad people weren't more seriously injured - that's the best outcome from a really awful situation :)

[TravelingChris]

NOw it turns out is a Somali student which of course makes one suspect terrorism.

[6packofun]

NOw it turns out is a Somali student which of course makes one suspect terrorism.

 

Perhaps. There are areas of Ohio that have large pockets of Somali immigrants and Columbus is one of those.   It was just beginning to become so during the 90s when I attended OSU.

Edited November 28, 2016 by 6packofun

[TravelingChris]

Well I was already suspecting terrorism by the manner of the attack.  Crazies have run over people before (that woman in OK comes to mind, the one who mowed down a parade).  People have slashed people before.  But the combination is not typical in the usual lets kill as many as we can scenario which occurs both in terrorism and in mass shootings/slayings of any kind for whatever reason.

[TranquilMind]

They are now reporting the shooter is dead.

Yes

 

CNBC: car rammed into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, and a knife-wielding attacker got out and cut people before being shot to death, authorities said. Nine people were reported injured.

 

NBC News reports the attacker has been identified as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, citing multiple law enforcement sources.

 

Ali Artan was believed to be an Ohio State student — a Somali refugee who lived near campus, NBC News reported. It said he was a legal permanent resident of the U.S.

 

The attack on campus in Columbus had initially had been described as an active shooter on the loose. The school declared the situation under control after about an hour, but classes were suspended for the day. As of last year, the school had more than 65,000 students that were enrolled.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/28/ohio-state-tweets-that-active-shooter-is-on-campus.html

Edited November 28, 2016 by TranquilMind

[livetoread]

Earlier this morning I was pleased because OSU had just shown my son's application was complete and being evaluated. Now my heart hurts. It can happen anywhere, I know, but that's too close.

 

My heart goes out to all those injured, to the police officer forced to take a life, and to all the parents who send their kids to college, hoping nothing like this ever happens on their campus.

[bibiche]

Why is it only a "terrorist" attack when the person has some connection to Islam? That one really perplexes me. Dylan Roof (white man who slaughtered the Bible study group) wasn't and still isn't referred to as a terrorist. Why one and not the other?

Edited November 28, 2016 by bibiche

[MEmama]

Earlier this morning I was pleased because OSU had just shown my son's application was complete and being evaluated. Now my heart hurts. It can happen anywhere, I know, but that's too close.

 

My heart goes out to all those injured, to the police officer forced to take a life, and to all the parents who send their kids to college, hoping nothing like this ever happens on their campus.

Congratulations to your son. Ohio State is a great school and Columbus is a fantastic, energetic city.

 

Yes, it can happen anywhere. It is terrifying.

[livetoread]

Congratulations to your son. Ohio State is a great school and Columbus is a fantastic, energetic city.

 

Yes, it can happen anywhere. It is terrifying.

Aw, thanks, but he's not in - they are evaluating his application. I doubt he'll get in - it's not the OSU of my youth, and his GPA is solid but his ACT scores are below their range.

[YaelAldrich]

Well I was already suspecting terrorism by the manner of the attack. Crazies have run over people before (that woman in OK comes to mind, the one who mowed down a parade). People have slashed people before. But the combination is not typical in the usual lets kill as many as we can scenario which occurs both in terrorism and in mass shootings/slayings of any kind for whatever reason.

Unfortunately, these two methods of terror are currently popular in Israel. For a while there were stabbings and/or run over attacks everyday, even multiple times a day. Now, it is au courant to commit arson.

[maize]

Why is it only a "terrorist" attack when the person has some connection to Islam? That one really perplexes me. Dylan Roof (white man who slaughtered the Bible study group) wasn't and still isn't referred to as a terrorist. Why one and not the other?

That's an interesting question.

 

I found this definition of terrorism (from wikipedia)

 

"It is the use of violence or threat of violence in order to purport a political, religious, or ideological change.

It can only be committed by non-state actors or undercover personnel serving on the behalf of their respective governments.

It reaches more than the immediate target victims and is also directed at targets consisting of a larger spectrum of society."

 

I know that I personally tend to think of terrorism as connected to/emanating from a group and having broader aims than a particular act--so I would generally not see one or two people acting entirely on their own as terrorists. If I decide I hate artists and go shoot up an art school class that would not be terrorism.

 

Things get blurry though--we've had folks without known formal ties to terrorist groups who commit an atrocity in the name of the group. I don't think those cases are clear cut. The KKK definitely acted as a terrorist group in the past, but would an individual white supremacist committing mass murder necessarily be a terrorist? I don't know.

 

Current popular opinion in the US does seem to lean heavily towards conflating terrorism and Islam.

[Laurie]

That's an interesting question.

 

I found this definition of terrorism (from wikipedia)

 

"It is the use of violence or threat of violence in order to purport a political, religious, or ideological change.

It can only be committed by non-state actors or undercover personnel serving on the behalf of their respective governments.

It reaches more than the immediate target victims and is also directed at targets consisting of a larger spectrum of society."

 

 

Here's the FBI's definition of terrorism:  https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism

[goldberry]

Here's the FBI's definition of terrorism:  https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism

 

That says...

Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping;

 

Interesting. Seems like "intimidate or coerce a civilian population" could have multiple applications.

[Amira]

The definition of a crime as a terrorist act is dependent on intent.

 

Committing a crime while Muslim or while Somali does not mean something is terrorism any more than committing a crime while Christian or while Swedish does. This hinges on intent and we have no idea what the intent was in the case.

[mom2scouts]

The news coming out today indicates this is being considered a terrorist attack. Immediately before the attack, he posted anti-US rants on Facebook and he had posted things about killing infidels to save Muslims.

[hornblower]

Why is it only a "terrorist" attack when the person has some connection to Islam? That one really perplexes me. Dylan Roof (white man who slaughtered the Bible study group) wasn't and still isn't referred to as a terrorist. Why one and not the other?

 

yes. He said he wanted to ignite a racial war. 

 

And what about the Bundy militia? They're terrorists imo. 

 

Both of these have intent which qualifies under the definitions posted.

[happypamama]

Earlier this morning I was pleased because OSU had just shown my son's application was complete and being evaluated. Now my heart hurts. It can happen anywhere, I know, but that's too close.

 

My heart goes out to all those injured, to the police officer forced to take a life, and to all the parents who send their kids to college, hoping nothing like this ever happens on their campus.

Mama, I was in my dorm room just a few feet from the shooting at my university in fall 1996 that killed one student, close enough that we heard the shots. An idyllic-looking campus, very safe; we never worried about walking alone at night. It can happen anywhere. Super scary, and this was before all the super fast internet media and widespread cell use; all phone lines were jammed as parents frantically tried to reach their children. If your son gets into OSU, please don't let this event color your perception of the school. You can take reasonable precautions by choosing somewhere with a good safety track record, but sometimes there's not more you can do except hope and pray.

[TranquilMind]

Why is it only a "terrorist" attack when the person has some connection to Islam? That one really perplexes me. Dylan Roof (white man who slaughtered the Bible study group) wasn't and still isn't referred to as a terrorist. Why one and not the other?

This is not true:

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/editorial-dylann-roof-homegrown-american-terrorist-article-1.2262817

 

http://louderwithcrowder.com/dylann-roof-terrorist/

 

He was indeed called a terrorist by many in the media. 

[SKL]

Mama, I was in my dorm room just a few feet from the shooting at my university in fall 1996 that killed one student, close enough that we heard the shots. An idyllic-looking campus, very safe; we never worried about walking alone at night. It can happen anywhere. Super scary, and this was before all the super fast internet media and widespread cell use; all phone lines were jammed as parents frantically tried to reach their children. If your son gets into OSU, please don't let this event color your perception of the school. You can take reasonable precautions by choosing somewhere with a good safety track record, but sometimes there's not more you can do except hope and pray.

 

I agree, and I would add that it is worth noting that this incident was shut down almost instantly by well-trained personnel.  I think I would feel safer there than in a lot of places.

 

[Kassia]

Mama, I was in my dorm room just a few feet from the shooting at my university in fall 1996 that killed one student, close enough that we heard the shots. An idyllic-looking campus, very safe; we never worried about walking alone at night. It can happen anywhere. Super scary, and this was before all the super fast internet media and widespread cell use; all phone lines were jammed as parents frantically tried to reach their children. If your son gets into OSU, please don't let this event color your perception of the school. You can take reasonable precautions by choosing somewhere with a good safety track record, but sometimes there's not more you can do except hope and pray.

 

Exactly.  We live in a safe, semi-rural town close to a large Amish community and had a high school shooting.  Six kids shot - three died and one was paralyzed.  We thought it would never, ever happen here.  My sons attend OSU and I do worry about their safety - especially at night.  But you just never know no matter how safe a place seems/feels.  

[SKL]

nm sorry wrong thread!

Edited November 29, 2016 by SKL

[TravelingChris]

I consider Dylan Roof to be a terrorist.  I consider the Eco warriors who started arson fires and destroyed animal research facilities terrorists.  I consider the IRA terrorists.  There is a Basque terrorist group.  And in the past there was the Baader Meinhoff group.  THe group in Japan that did the chemical attack.  The Red Army in Italy.  Also, while I can't remember what they are called, I believe there is some anti government white nationalist group that has been doing robberies and some other crimes.  I do think those people in Oregon were terrorists too. 

 

So Bibiche, I don't believe that only Muslims can be terrorists.  My graduate level education which included PhD work was in criminology.  I also have practical knowledge in such matters due to my prior work history and other education I received.  

[SKL]

I also believe some actions during union demonstrations are terrorist acts, and similar for certain other groups in the US which intimidate others.