Sirens and flashing lights flooded the scene as the Colorado Mesa University (CMU) University Center (UC) was placed on lockdown during the last day of the Fall semester.
Officers from the Grand Junction Police Department (GJPD) investigated in response to a report of a man wielding a weapon in the dining hall area.
After assessment and investigation, law enforcement found that a young adult male, identified in reports as twenty-year-old Alexander Simpson, was in possession of a firearm. Simpson was arrested and taken to Mesa County Detention Facility to be questioned.
Simpson was allegedly the one to make the initial report, calling police and describing a suspect who had supposedly been brandishing a weapon.
Upon investigation, law enforcement took notice of a man matching the suspect description attempting to leave the dining hall, later found to be concealing a handgun. It is not believed that Simpson was an enrolled student at CMU.
A day later, Simpson was charged for the unlawful carrying of a weapon on school, college or university grounds, unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon, false report of explosives, weapons or harmful substances and reckless endangerment.
There were no shots fired and no injuries during the incident. CMU worked to communicate effectively with law enforcement and ensure safety on campus.
“When campus experiences a critical incident, the event initiates the campus critical incident response team. The team exists to coordinate communication between the Grand Junction Police department and or other first responders depending on the nature of the required response,” said Vice President of Communications David Ludlam.
“In this case, our team began to communicate directly with GJPD and provided email updates campus wide as the situation evolved. When there was no longer a threat posed to campus, GJPD gave notice that the lockdown could be lifted and that UC operations could resume.”
CMU consistently ensures that there is safety and security on campus with multiple safety efforts such as the Campus Police Presence, the Safe Walk Program, the Emergency Notification System, Report It and the annual campus Safety Walk.
“The Critical Incident Response Team (CIT) meets regularly to discuss protocols and processes and to review our response to critical incidents. During these meetings we identify and uncover what should be done on an ongoing basis, to continue to grow and get better when it comes to emergency and critical incident response. More than that, we strive to create a campus culture where safety is a paramount priority,” said Ludlam.
It was also noted that CMU has welcomed a new Director of Campus Safety and Conduct.
“His name is Alex Zappe. Alex has a career and legacy of working in emergency response and in law enforcement and will continue to ensure that critical incident response best practices are upheld and sustained at CMU as he settles into the new role,” said Ludlam.
CMU actively invites students to help keep the community safe by utilizing resources like Report It and the Safe Walk Program. These resources help students to participate in keeping the safety of those around them, as well as of themselves.
Report It allows users to anonymously report any crime, misconduct or suspicious activity that they may come across on campus. The Report It webpage urges students who feel uncomfortable calling Campus Safety or the Mentor/Counseling Office directly to use the Report It form in order to share information concerning incidents of crime, unsafe activity or any general concerns.
The Safe Walk program connects students with trained Campus Safety Assistants (CSAs) who will walk with students anywhere on campus and up to two blocks off campus in the event of any safety concerns. Their services are available between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00a.m. every day.
The case is still in early stages of investigation, and no ultimate sentencing decisions have been revealed to the public.
Simpson was reported to have no criminal history, and to have allegedly scored in a very low risk category of a risk assessment tool used by the courts.
Regardless, Simpson will be prohibited from stepping foot onto CMU campus grounds should he bond out.
