The campus community at Fresno State is deeply shocked at the tragedy of the shooting incident at Virginia Tech University.  The extent of this tragedy is not yet fully known, but our thoughts and prayers go out to the Virginia Tech students and their parents, and to the university’s faculty and staff. 

When horrible crimes like this occur, it causes all of us to reassess how we would deal with such an incident. While no plan can completely prevent the efforts of a determined evil person, our university does actively work to prevent and deal with violent incidents.  We have a fully prepared on-campus police force with sworn officers, procedures for evacuation in emergency situations, safety procedures for all campus buildings and special security measures for university residence halls and student housing. 

When the tranquility of a campus is shattered by crime, especially a crime as horrible as this one, we need to remember how important universities are to our society and that we must protect the free exchange of ideas and the search for knowledge while providing a safe environment for our students.

Click for campus emergency communication procedures.

Click: Information via Google News

Editor's note: Fresno State students who feel a need to discuss this matter with a counselor may contact University Heath and Psychological Services at 559.278.6738 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Walk -In Psychological Services (no appointment necessary) are available 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.