Reginald Webb

The closed campus police department, located in the Student Service Center

The horrible tragedy in Las Vegas reminds us all how serious violence in America is becoming. The proximity of this event in Las Vegas hit close to home as many from California attended this festival, thus raising the odds that the tragedy would become personal to someone we know.

Here at San Jose City we have such a scenario. Undeclared San Jose City College  freshman, Owen Duzac, was unfortunately struck with an unthinkable emergency as his mother had been in touch with her sister who had been on the phone with her son, Matt Sargent, Owen’s cousin, while he and friends were literally fleeing the malaise, dodging bullets in the street. They were attempting to find a way out of the area via taxi to find refuge out a friends house in Las Vegas safely away from the Strip.  Luckily, they were all successful in avoiding injury or worse.

However, back here at San Jose City the question has to be how safe are we?

Big Five Sporting Goods on Stevens Creek Blvd.  is one of the closest places one can obtain a gun.  An employee named Anthony, stated all there was required to purchase a  gun was proof of United States Citizenship and a valid California driver’s license or identification card. In addition, one must take and pass a thirty question gun safety evaluation. Afterward, one can purchase a semi-automatic weapon.

Within a few miles from campus one can purchase a semi-automatic firearm. We have protocol and contingency measures for a shooter on campus scenario.

However, is it sufficient?

The Vegas shooter was able to kill almost sixty people in minutes. Are we content with leaving such a scenario to chance or is there something more we could do as far  as preparedness?

Campus police did not return calls for this article, but appropriate questions are encouraged such as are we adequately staffed throughout the day at San Jose City College?  Do officers have access to weaponry that can adequately counter a suspect with an automatic firearm? Is there coordination with nearby local law enforcement agencies for such a scenario?  What is the response time? These type of questions concern us all.