![]() ![]() "For the safety of the public the Miami-Dade police have set up a perimeter and cordoned off the area until the package can be secured. ![]() "Earlier this evening a suspicious package was left unattended at the front gate," the tournament said in a statement. Local news reports had also said four-lane traffic was halted in both directions in front of the complex while spectators were prevented from entering. The all clear was given at around 9:30 ET, some 30 minutes after officials had confirmed the lockdown, allowing ticket holders to exit. Though their efforts were later found to be unnecessary, can you imagine the condemnation these same institutions would have faced if the threat were genuine and they had delayed dispatching officers until they received confirmation? In the event of a threat in any highly populated area, it is always best to assume the worst until it is proven otherwise.By Steve Keating MIAMI (Reuters) - The Sony Open in Miami was locked down while the bomb squad investigated a suspicious package on Tuesday, preventing thousands of spectators from entering or leaving the sprawling tennis complex. Police and emergency personnel at the University of Oklahoma were commended on their speed and efficiency in responding to the report of gunfire. As frustrating as it may be when such a big deal is made about absolutely nothing, it is completely necessary to approach every potentially dangerous situation as if it were the worst-case scenario. So, after all the panic, after OSU and Columbus Police, the Columbus Fire Department, and the bomb squad shut down the area and averted traffic, after the Union was evacuated, the employees sent home, after all the news vans that flocked to the area to report on the “event” and interview “witnesses,” the only real result is that one forgetful student is down a backpack, a laptop and a few textbooks. Why would anybody assume that it was more likely to be a bomb rather than a misplaced backpack of some stoned sophomore? Of course, there wasn’t a bomb at the Ohio Union. The Union and the surrounding streets reopened shortly afterward. They performed a controlled detonation of the backpack, which contained no explosives, according to OSU police. The bomb squad was called in to examine the unattended package. The Union was evacuated, and several streets in the area were closed by police and fire trucks. On the evening of April 16, 2013, the day following the Boston Marathon bombing, a suspicious package, later identified as a backpack, was reported behind the Ohio Union near College Road. ![]() Have we all become paranoid? Have we been exposed to too many television shows about crime to act rationally when we become the slightest bit spooked? Have we seen too many movies about acts of terrorism to remain calm and collected when assessing the actual level of danger in a given situation? Have the endless news reports covering murders, kidnappings and bombings programmed us to believe that everybody else is a terrorist or a murderer? It is speculated that the reported gunshots were no more than a backfiring machine from a nearby construction project.Īfter the thousands of dollars in resources and manpower were put toward finding the gunman, and after the university worried countless numbers of students, parents and faculty, nothing was found. Soon after, police set up a perimeter around Gould Hall and began evacuating other parts of campus, according to reports.Īfter a lengthy search, police and SWAT teams were unable to locate any evidence of a shooting or a shooter. Minutes later the university sent an emergency text to students and posted a tweet urging them to seek refuge and to avoid Gould Hall, where the shooter was suspected to have been located. The following day, police at the University of Oklahoma received a call about three gunshots fired on campus. Law enforcement has yet to report a motive for the murder, and a not guilty plea was entered on Cousins’ behalf. While there were several other people in the room according to reports, Cousins, 23, targeted only Boldt before exiting the building and surrendering to police. 21 when engineering student Cody Cousins allegedly shot and stabbed classmate Andrew Boldt, 21, resulting in his death. Tragedy struck Purdue University on Tuesday, Jan. ![]()
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