OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – It is just another day of training and teaching for Trevor Thrasher at 88 Tactical in Omaha. It is a place that specializes in preparing for active threats.
“One of the most difficult things is these active threats occur in crowded environments by their definition,” Thrasher said.
It is similar to what happened at Ohio State University Monday. Thrasher was in Ohio just two months ago, training law enforcement there how to handle these situations. On Monday, he said he was getting updates from those who responded.
“I received various text messages back and forth from them,” Thrasher said. “[They were] notifying me that they were on scene and what was happening.”
Thrasher said the university also stayed proactive, notifying students and giving them directions.
“They told people to run, hide, fight,” Thrasher said. “The idea of just sheltering in place is an old-fashioned idea that needs to go away.”
It is the same kind of message law enforcement at UNO stresses. That, and making sure students receive critical information through texts, emails and even messages that scroll across campus computers.
“You want to get that information out as fast as possible,” Assistant Police Chief Michael Murphy said. “It’s very critical to get that out as soon as you can.”
Murphy told us it is important students know exactly how to stay safe the moment they step on campus.
“They told us all the resources we had available to us,” Ashley Ridgway said. “They also told us the phone number and that basically on campus if we ever did feel worried, there were resources to use and that we were encouraged to use them at any time possible.”
Murphy told WOWT 6 News police have stepped up foot patrols on campus, often focusing on some of the busier buildings.