Belén Yudess ’25 and Charlotte Korer ‘27
Copy Editor
On March 13 there were alleged reports of an active shooter at Claremont McKenna College (CMC).
At 4:55 p.m., Campus Safety sent a message to the 5C community asking students to avoid CMC’s campus due to the presence of the Claremont Police Department and officers from La Verne, Ontario, and Upland PD.
A follow-up message was sent at 5:10 p.m. informing students and staff of a possible shooter and advising them to shelter in place. Reminders to continue sheltering were sent at 6:00 p.m. and 6:47 p.m.
At 7:36 p.m., Campus Safety, Claremont PD, and supporting law enforcement declared that there was no active threat and students were safe to proceed with usual activity.
Following the all-clear, Assistant Dean and Director of Case Management Jamila Zuwayed, reached out on behalf of Care@Scripps to offer emotional support, inform students of modified dining options for the evening, and notify students that all Scripps classes would be cancelled the following day on March 14 and resume after Spring Break on March 24.
According to an update on the Claremont PD’s Instagram, they “received a phone call from an unknown subject calling in an emergency. The caller told dispatch they were in a restroom on the Claremont McKenna College campus, holding someone captive and threatening to harm them… They also stated they had a bomb and were going to walk around with a rifle and shoot anyone they saw on the campus.”
When helicopters and police vehicles first appeared on campus, chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric Kimberly Drake, who was at a faculty meeting, touched upon the uncertainty surrounding the situation following the initial Campus Safety messages that circulated throughout the approximately 25 in-person attendees.
“We were debating a proposal from FEC and the Dean of Faculty [Mary Hatcher-Skeers] interrupted to say that there was notice of police activity and then we continued as we always do,” she said. “Nobody was saying to get out of here or anything. While the discussion was happening, I felt like people around me were saying, should we end this meeting? Or isn’t it ridiculous that we’re continuing to have this meeting? And I was feeling the same way.”
As the meeting was about to conclude, Hatcher-Skeers received the order to shelter in place and directed the faculty on how to proceed. “I felt like she handled it quite well… and I knew she had ethos as a person with authority … and we all kind of knew what to do,” said Drake. “We closed the blinds, turned the lights out, and we put desks against the doors.”
An anonymous first year student who was in the Motley at the time shared a similar sentiment as the staff and highlighted the students’ collective action that was taken to ensure the safety of all patrons.
“Anabhra [Singh ’25] went up to the Motley people and was like we’re hearing rumors that CMC’s evacuating, we should probably close the doors and we closed and locked the doors before we even heard anything official,” she said. “It was weird because as soon as the doors were closed and the music was turned off, everyone was silent and we were just all looking around. We started barricading the doors with everything that you can imagine and [the baristas] had everyone pile in the back rooms behind the wall.”
As the evening progressed, Drake elaborated on the atmosphere once everyone settled into place. “I was under a table that’s up [on the stage] by the podium and [Hatcher-Skeers] was next to me,” she said. “And then there was a plastic table shielding a bunch of other people. Other people were in the corners, which is between bunches of windows. And then there were others sitting in places around the edges. People were on their phones. They were very quiet.”
Denison Library Director Jennifer Martinez-Wormser, who was also present at the faculty meeting, also commented on the aforementioned scene and the support among those sheltered in place. “As one who grew up in an era prior to shelter in place drills for an active shooter scenario, this was my first experience in such a situation; I guess I’m lucky to have made it this far in life before I had to spend several hours seated behind a folding table in the dark with my colleagues,” she said. “It was scary, no doubt, but we supported each other during that time in the small and quiet ways that we could under the circumstances.”
The anonymous first-year shared that as the reality of the situation settled in, her emotions continued to rise. “I was horrified, like I thought my life was going to end,” she said. “Which is weird because we didn’t even have a confirmed shooter. That’s just the first time I’ve ever been in a situation like that.”
Concern also rose in the faculty meeting as attendees realized the protocol police were taking regarding evacuation procedures. “We saw on KTLA people running out single file with their hands on their head from Roberts Pavilion,” Drake said. “We were like, oh my God, we’re going to be here till midnight because they’re going to go building by building to evacuate, which we heard they were doing.”
Several parts of the incident incited anxiety for those involved. For the anonymous first-year, what caused the most fear and confusion were the countless rumors being spread, which made it difficult to receive and believe updates.
“There were just so many rumors being spread,” Drake said. “People were freaking out. There were all these rumors going around and no one actually knew what was going on, and in a time where our lives might be at risk, I feel like communication is the most important thing.”
Martinez-Wormser explained that being away from the library, its staff, and its patrons was the most challenging part of the lockdown. “As a department head, you feel responsible for the safety of others, and I was glad to hear that the plans we had in place [for lockdown in the library] were effective despite my absence.”
Once the lockdown ended, the anonymous student and faculty interviewees noted the relief that permeated throughout campus, especially after learning nobody was injured and the situation was thought to be a hoax.
Although this incident did not result in any type of casualty and was handled with the utmost care and responsibility by those in charge, Drake shared that further resources and guidance surrounding active shooter protocol would be helpful going forward.
“I think having access to [protocols] and having somebody in a meeting say, this is what you should do, would be good,” she said. “I think the Dean may be working on that. I do [also] think given the placement of [the incident] immediately before spring break has meant that it sort of vanished, so I think a little follow up might be good.”
