Fatal Shootings Near USC Campus Prompt Safety Concerns Among Students
Comments (1)
Police on the scene in West Adams area (Alan Mittelstaedt)
“It’s weird that they didn’t tell us what to do,” Charlie Jackson, a freshman living in Troy East, said. “I thought they would say something like ‘Be careful where you are.’”
While DPS included a website with safety tips in the email, the body focused primarily on the details of the incident including the students’ genders and the steps taken after the death. Further details illuminated by the L.A. Times shows that the police believe the crime occurred during a car-jacking.
“It makes me a little nervous, because of the proximity to where I live,” Rebecca Hoff, a senior living about three blocks from 27th Street, said. “I think if we had more of those yellow-shirt people it would be better, they kind of stop at Troy.” She added that the DPS officers—those in yellow-shirts patrolling around USC—tend to stop after most undergraduate housing, and do not protect the graduate housing around the area.
“The first thing I saw was the text message, I thought it was crazy, definitely not good,” Zhikun Hue, a sophomore living in downtown L.A., said. “I live in a pretty safe area, but I worry about others.”
DPS is working in conjunction with the LAPD in order to uncover further information about the crime. The victims were both international students. Their names have not been released pending notification of the next of kin.
“I don’t think homicides occur very often,” said Hue, “but the security is understandably worse than other places here.”
RELATED CONTENT: Two USC Students Shot And Killed Near Campus
Reach Staff Reporter Nandini Ruparel here.
Comments
Wow. I am sickened at what happened. I had not heard/read any details prior to being interviewed around 10:30 this morning. I figured it was an assault at a party or maybe gang related, or something similar, as things of that nature have been reported before. I hadn't had time to look into the details before class but made sure to once I got back home. When I read the LA Times article and watched the video clip my stomach dropped. Though I didn't know the victims and I was over 1.5 miles away at the time and had no idea anything had happened, it still feels like a loss since, as fellow students, you feel a connection, along with the fear that "it could be me one day." I know we live in a big city with big city crime, and that we acknowledge the security issues--legitimate or overblown--when we choose to come here. Things like this are extremely rare, so when they happen, it is quite shocking. The articles about the incident are chilling and sad. What happened this morning was senseless. It shouldn't have happened. I know DPS, LAPD, and other security personnel can't be everywhere at all times--they have a tough job, given where we are situated. However, what they do for USC and the neighborhood is appreciated. I know that there was nothing that could have prevented this, nor anything that can really make it better. I just hope they find the killer and bring justice on behalf of those who were murdered and for their families.