UNC releases action recommendations following deadly campus shooting
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A new report from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released Thursday outlines areas for improvement regarding campus safety in response to last August's fatal shooting on campus.
That after-action report, released in collaboration with CNA Corp., an independent research firm, lists specific actions that can be taken by the school to prevent another tragedy.
"On Aug. 28, 2023, our campus suffered a devastating loss when a faculty member was killed during an active shooting incident," George Battle, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Integrity and Risk Management said in a message to the school community. "This was a painful event for our University, and our community continues to heal. Since then, we have explored opportunities to make impactful improvements to our campus security and emergency protocols, and I am sharing an update on those initiatives today."
That report was released in summary to protect what the school calls "sensitive public security information" but still provided a clear picture of how UNC plans to act in the wake of that deadly shooting.
ALSO SEE | Court documents unsealed in case of UNC grad student accused of killing professor on campus
The university laid out six areas for improvement, recommended by that third-party research company.
Those fall under the categories of preparedness and planning, public safety response and incident management, emergency coordination and information sharing, public information and communications, campus counseling and behavioral health, and safety and risk management.
Some of the specific actions the school said it will take include:
- finding options for active shooter training for faculty and staff in the next academic year;
- hosting a multi-agency exercise drill for UNC Police to test its response protocols;
- improving the language for Alert Carolina's emergency messages;
- and working to acquire and implement a new, integrated camera system.
ALSO SEE | Cutting UNC's DEI funding could have widespread effect on scholarship programs and more
Those are all big changes and obviously would require a major investment on the university's part.
ABC11 requested to speak with UNC Police Chief Brian James about this ambitious action plan but has not heard back.
ALSO SEE | Handgun used in UNC shooting still hasn't been found
