Days after university police officer Robert Duplain shot Michael McKinney, Ball State students received a statement from the university.
It has been three days since the community learned of the death of sophomore Karl Harford, and students have received nothing.
There are questions students have, and they deserve answers.
Students are wondering why they should stay at Ball State. Two fatal shootings in one academic year is a lot to handle for people who are away from home for the first time. Not every student feels safe here.
Something must be done.
The university needs to show students what it is doing to prevent an incident like this from happening again. Unlike the McKinney shooting, the university was not directly involved in this incident. But Ball State officials should not wash their hands of the situation because it occurred off-campus.
Parents send their children here assuming they will be safe. The Harford and McKinney families expected the same.
The university is not just answering to students. It must answer to parents. They have trusted Ball State with their children. Show them enough respect to tell them how this school will make sure their children are safe. This is a chance for Ball State to show it cares about its students.
It does not matter how Ball State approached students' deaths before those of McKinney and Harford. It is time to set a precedent for future incidents.
Put the flags at half-staff in honor of the deceased. Send a letter home to students' families explaining what Ball State is doing to promote safety. Set up forums and more counseling options for students. Include safety seminars during Freshman Orientation.
If Ball State steps up to the plate to find ways to prevent this problem, maybe the university might not have to deal with tragedies like these again.
The students and families are looking to administrators to give them answers.
Show them that their university is here for them; that Ball State is as devoted to its students as its students are to it.
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