In today’s unsettling climate on college campuses, there was another terrifying incident that rattled students and faculty alike. On an ordinary afternoon, students at a university suddenly found themselves part of a scene that you might expect in a movie, not in real life. A student, just going about their day, witnessed something completely out of the norm. Amidst the typical hustle and bustle outside the student union, something caught their eye: an orange Hummer parked nearby. Now, seeing an eye-catching vehicle could mean a lot of things, but what followed was beyond anyone’s imagination.
As mundane as the sight might have seemed initially, a man, fitting the look of a typical college kid, stepped out of this Hummer. Wearing an orange shirt and khaki shorts—just like any other student on a sunny day—he carried with him something far more sinister: a rifle. Not your everyday accessory for a campus visit, to say the least. Initially, people might have been confused, perhaps even thinking it was some sort of prank. But soon, confusion turned to fear when the rifle was waved around menacingly.
Without warning, things escalated. The gunman fired the rifle, though luckily, the shot missed those in the path. One can imagine the sheer panic as the sound of gunfire shattered the day’s normalcy. Instead of fleeing, which might seem the sensible choice for any firearms aficionado gone rogue, he returned to his vehicle. But he didn’t drive away—which is what everyone else would have preferred—instead, he switched to a pistol. A trade-in, if you will, of the worst kind.
The most chilling part of this afternoon horror show came next when the man raised the pistol and fired at a lady standing there. It was in that awful, surreal moment that everyone had to accept this was no joke, no surreal prank, but a terrifying reality. Fear, confusion, and chaos erupted, a tapestry of chaos woven with disbelief and dread blanketed the scene.
It’s a shame it takes events like these to remind us of the problems on campuses nationwide. While we can make light of the man’s absurdly bright outfit or the conspicuous orange Hummer that screamed “look at me”, these distractions hide a grim reality. It’s clear the discussion about safety, gun control, and mental health needs to be more than just lip service, as incidents like these are far too commonplace in today’s world. One can only hope that this serves as a wake-up call to policymakers, parents, and educators to address these issues head-on.
