Content Warning: This article contains references to gun violence.
When an active shooter killed a DeKalb County police officer near Emory Point, an apartment complex located near Emory University's Atlanta campus, this summer, the Emory Police Department (EPD) aimed to improve safety for the campus community.
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel on Oct. 3 that EPD has plans to increase its personnel, but also wrote that the University has “hosted several high-profile speakers and events,” which may result in students seeing more EPD officers.
After the events of this summer, some students remain shaken by these instances and are concerned about their safety on campus.
Leila Buchan (26C), who lives at Emory Point, was in the apartment complex during the August shooting and said the incident shocked her.
“I didn’t really think anything of it until I started hearing it,” Buchan said. “The gun sounds were going off like crazy. It was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.”
Buchan said she has noticed an increase in security on campus and near her apartment since the incident. For instance, she said she observed the presence of an armed guard outside the Emory Point CVS at all hours, and said there were more EPD patrol cars in the area than previously.
The August shooting was not the first safety scare around Emory Point. On Sept. 19, 2024, a worker fired a gun at one of his coworkers in “a limited-access kitchen area of a leased business.” Additionally, on Nov. 30, 2024, the CVS at Emory Point reported two male subjects armed with a handgun who attempted to rob the store. Buchan said that she does not always feel safe at Point. During all these incidents, the University issued emergency warnings to community members via text.
“Point, for some reason, does happen to be a victim of a lot of situations that occur,” Buchan said.
Rhea Sharma (27C) also lived at Emory Point over the summer. Although she was not in Atlanta when the shooting occurred, she said she still felt shocked and scared by the event. Sharma said the incident came as a shock, as safety was a top priority for her in choosing to live at Point.
“The reason why we picked Point and why we normally feel really comfortable there is because it’s so close to campus and it’s really safe generally,” Sharma said.
Sharma said that after the shooting, it has been difficult to trust that another incident will not occur.
“I don’t view [Point] as the safest place anymore,” Sharma said.
An incident at the Robert W. Woodruff Library on Sept. 27 caused similar fears to resurface when students and employees evacuated the building after reports of an armed individual in the building. Although police confirmed after half an hour that there was no threat, students have continued to ponder not only their own safety, but also whether Emory’s safety procedures will be effective in protecting them in the future.
Both Sharma and Buchan received notifications from Fizz, an anonymous app students can use to share messages, on Sept. 27 about the library scare. The University did not issue an emergency message during the police response to the library.
While Buchan was not in the library during the event, she said the lack of communication was worrisome.
“I would’ve wanted to know details, being like we’re investigating this, we’re taking these steps and then I would’ve felt fine,” Buchan said.
Justine Germain (28C) was in the library during the incident and said students showed little urgency during the evacuation as no one made any announcements or explained what was happening, leaving her unaware of the reason for the commotion.
“There wasn’t really any sort of panic, so I just thought it was a drill,” Germain said.
Germain also expressed confusion that the University did not send out an alert immediately, considering the number of students in the library.
“They didn’t send anything out for an active shooter, where most people hang out in the library,” Germain said.
Sharma said that despite these incidents, the campus feels largely safe, as all dorm buildings require key cards, and some require you to scan in after hours. In off-campus housing, there are also safety precautions similar to those in the residential halls on campus to ensure that only residents and selected personnel have access.
“You need a code or key fob to enter any of the doors, so you can’t get into any hall, where there's access to residential doors, without a key fob,” Sharma said.
With these developments, the University is committing to increasing EPD activity around campus to prevent future incidents. Buchan expressed hope that in doing so, Emory will become safer and that the University will become better at communicating safety concerns with students.
“Regardless of the situation, you should alert people being like, ‘Hey, there’s this thing going on. We just want to let everybody know,’” Buchan said. “Instead of someone having to find out through a social media app, and then not knowing any detail whatsoever.”
If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of gun violence, you can reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/ or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress hotline 24/7 at +1 (800) 985-5990.
