By Sarah Brookbank

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After nine people were killed and 10 were injured during a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., questions about campus safety have risen across the nation.

These mass shootings on college campuses have hit closer to home for Kentucky students, with EKU facing their second threat in the past year. The latest one, found written on a bathroom stall in the Powell Building on Oct. 5, reads “KILL ALL BY 10/8/15 THIS BU OOP.”

EKU, only a 40 minute drive from UK, has canceled classes for the rest of the week.

A campus-wide email from EKU’s President, Michael Benson, sent on Oct. 7, read “While we are confident the responding team of law enforcement agencies has kept a watchful eye over our community and is diligently investigating the threat, it has become clear this incident continues to be unsettling to a number of our students, faculty and staff.”

EKU’s police department has offered a $10,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person or persons.

“Our number one response in an active shooting situation is to eliminate the threat — to make sure that the shooting stops,” said Joe Monroe, UK’s police chief. “Then our second thing is to secure the scene and begin first aid.”

He said people should run and get away from a shooting situation if they can and to get to where you feel safe, whether it’s a residence hall, another building or the police station.

“Run and get away from the situation if you are able to. That’s probably your number one priority,” Monroe said. “The second priority would be … to hide and be quiet. Turn your cell phone on vibrate or silent,” said Monroe.

“The third thing is — if you can’t run and hide — then fight,” Monroe said. “Fight is the last option, basically you’re fighting for your life.”

If you’re hiding, he said staying there is of major importance.

“If you are able to hide, lock yourself in a room and don’t open that door for even your best friend,” Monroe said.

If it comes down to fighting, Monroe said it is not about being stronger or having a bigger gun, it is about being faster.

“Be smart, but you’ve got to be quick,” Monroe said. “Someone walks into a classroom, a residence hall or cafeteria, and they look like they may be a threat, and you can’t run or hide, you need to deal with that.”

Monroe said throwing something or causing a distraction so someone else can do something can be an immediate response.

If an active shooter situation was to happen at UK, Monroe said the police force is prepared. Once or twice a year, they participate in an active shooter drill using simulated ammunition. Monroe said because the bullets actually hurt, it is less like going through the motions, and more like a true simulation.

“The number one thing for us is trying to prevent the shooting from happening — a lot of times around the country, that is what’s missed,” Monroe said. “We look back and there’s all these warning signs we see in law enforcement as we start doing these post-investigations into shootings — there are warning signs that nobody reported.”

An organization that helps with this is the Community of Concern team, which looks at anybody that is at risk or a threat to the university. The team then ranks these people and determines whether or not they are a threat to the university.

“The number one way to stop these things is through (early) detection,” Monroe said. “(President Capilouto has) really put an emphasis on student safety, which means that he’s given us a lot of financial means to give the students extra tools.”

One of those tools the LiveSafe app, which allows people to text the police, as well as send them photos and videos. Monroe said the app is a major asset, especially in an active shooter situation. While communicating with the police is important, making sure students are safe is more important. Police would want to know where you are, where the shooter is, what they are wearing, what they look like, and what type of gun they are carrying.

UK has spent millions of dollars updating campus to make it safer. The university has 30,000 cameras and has added about 15 police officers since Capilouto arrived at UK.

UK spokesman Jay Blanton said campus safety is a top priority and the administration is continually updating and planning in case of emergency event.

“In the last few years, at the leading of President Capilouto and the Board of Trustees, we’ve invested $5 million in significant upgrades to technology and personnel,” Blanton said.

Blanton said UK has upgraded locks and cameras, and it has hired more police and counseling personnel to help prevent and respond to incidents. With the extra funding, UKPD is better prepared for emergency incidents.

“It’s not the end of it,” Blanton said. “There is a continual focus on safety and it is a top priority for Capilouto and the university.”