{shortcode-713e01e086cac481d1021b1c7fe480f6aa82986e}Gun violence is one of the most pressing public safety issues facing our country — yet Harvard seems worryingly unready to face it.

Last Sunday, police responded to reports of gunshots at the Harvard Square train station. Despite officers responding at 2:12 p.m., it was not until 2:47 p.m. that a University-wide alert ordering a shelter-in-place was sent. That’s right — more than half an hour passed between the first police response and University affiliates being officially alerted. Before the alert, many students who learned about the gunshots did so through texts from friends or the anonymous social media app Sidechat.

Thankfully, no one was injured. Nonetheless, Sunday’s chaos revealed that Harvard is underprepared to effectively respond to incidents of campus gun violence.

In the aftermath of the shooting, students across campus have criticized the University for failing to provide timely and clear information about the reported gunshots — and they’re right. Any delay — let alone one lasting over a half-hour — in notifying students of an active shooter can be a matter of life or death.

Even when the shelter-in-place order was lifted, University affiliates were merely informed that “the search has concluded,” leaving students in the dark as to whether a suspect had been taken into custody.

A hastier and more transparent set of updates might have better equipped affiliates to respond appropriately, rather than relying on word-of-mouth information. During a crisis, an absence of timely and clear official alerts leaves a void that is too often filled by rumors or misinformation.

Fortunately, the University’s lapse in communication did not have fatal consequences. Moving forward, however, Harvard must take steps to ensure that such an oversight never happens again.

The Sunday incident draws attention to a broader issue: the need for adequate emergency preparedness on our campus. While incoming first-years are expected to complete a series of modules on topics including mental health, substance use, and sexual harassment, there’s no such required training about gun violence.

To prepare for future emergencies, Harvard ought to mandate training on responding to University-wide alerts. During Sunday’s events, many of our peers were uncertain about what it meant to shelter in place — especially if we were in a dining hall or a public area like the Smith Campus Center. Without clear guidance in advance, students are left scrambling when an emergency occurs.

Luckily, Sunday’s shooting appeared to be an isolated, targeted event. Given recent mass shootings on other college campuses like Florida State University and Michigan State University though, it’s imperative that we be sufficiently prepared should gun violence come to our campus.

On a national scale, Sunday’s shooting also highlights the necessity for common-sense gun reform to address the root cause of shootings. Closer to home, it’s imperative that universities do their part in advancing research on gun violence and regulatory solutions.

Last Sunday’s events should be a wake-up call. The Harvard community is fortunate that we didn’t face a more serious emergency — but that’s all the more reason to prepare in case we do.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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