Last semester, the organization Young America’s Foundation and the Yankee Institute sponsored an event at Bucknall Theater where Yeonmi Park, a political activist, spoke to students.
Park first came to the spotlight in 2011 after appearing on a South Korean reality show and has since published memoirs, now traveling the country sharing the story of how she defected from North Korea as a teenager in 2007.
Park spoke at an event for Turning Point USA which is a non-profit organization that Charlie Kirk, political activist, founded in 2012. Park and Kirk worked together to share their own stories and spark debates with the public.
On Sept. 10, Kirk was killed in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University (UVU) during the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour.”
The following morning of Kirk’s assassination, Park addressed his passing in a Facebook post,.
“@charliekirk1776 was a man of God, the embodiment of grace and bravery. He will live in my heart until my last breath. Rest in peace,” said Park. “You changed my life and the world, and we will forever be indebted to your sacrifice. I pray we meet again in heaven, where there is no injustice and no suffering.”
The assassination was a reminder of the potential for violence on college campuses and against political activists.
After the incident, an email was sent out to the university on Sept. 16 highlighting a number of training resources for violent offender and active shooter situations.
On myCharger under the Public Safety tab there is “an active shooter training video, a ‘shots fired’ scenario that provides an important overview on how to respond should this situation arise and an active shooter training course available through Canvas that provides a wealth of valuable information,” said Ronald M. Quagliani, associate vice president of public safety and administrative services, in the email.
“Thankfully the odds of us being involved in situations such as the ones outlined above are remote,” said Quagliani. “Still, in light of the increase in violence across the country and around the world, it is important for us to remain vigilant, prepared, and aware of our surroundings at all times.”
Following the news of his assassination, the university’s police chief Adam Brown analyzed the Kirk incident and discussed what the university may have done. .
“As we learn more things about each situation, we then come back and say, ‘how would we react to that situation?’” Brown said to CT Insider in an interview.
Brown applied the protocols established at the university and discussed if they would have changed the outcome at Utah Valley University.
One way the university’s hosting of Park was significantly safer than Kirk’s event at UVU was holding the event indoors, using metal detectors and a security checkpoint at the entrance to Bucknall Theater.
To get an idea of the threshold for risk during a political event, , the university begins by looking into any possible threats the speaker has received, what the topic of their lecture or discussion will be, the event’s location and its anticipated crowd size.
The university also uses another security measure, ZeroEyes, an artificial intelligence software applied to existing cameras around campus.
“We are continually investing in new tools and technology that enhance the safety of our campus, including a comprehensive AI gun-detection system that is deployed throughout campus,” said Quagliani.
The software works by scanning the campus for any weapons, sending an alert to an off-campus security expert who will review the threat and triggering additional cameras used to follow the suspects movement.
“Once we lock onto you with this intelligence, and you start moving…we know where you are and we’re immediately going to come there to confront the situation,” said Brown.
With the increase in gun violence across the nation and on college campuses, Quaqliani emphasized how important it is for students to be aware of their surroundings, the signs of a potential offender and any possible escape routes.
“We constantly review all public safety plans that are in place to protect our community and prevent acts of violence” said Quagliani. “Please know that our sworn police department, our security personnel, and our area public safety partners are trained to respond to and mitigate the impact of any incidents that could occur.”
