President Linda Mills told students that “NYU is not standing still” when preparing for possible gun violence, following an onslaught of criticism regarding how administrators handled a hoax anti-Black shooting threat earlier this month.
Mills, along with provost Georgina Dopico, Senior Vice President for University Life Jason Pina and Campus Safety head Fountain Walker, detailed NYU’s precautions and instructions for students in the case of a shooting threat in a universitywide memo on Monday. The notice comes after NYU’s Black Student Union and Black Law Students Association condemned the university for not initiating “precautionary lockdowns.” The students referenced more than a dozen schools that received the same “swatting” email — and some that didn’t — that imposed a lockdown as news of the threat spread.
“Whenever these events occur, they are deeply unsettling,” Mills wrote. “Our goal is to ensure that every member of NYU feels informed, supported, and prepared.”
Mills said that the shooting threat was an instance of “swatting,” in which perpetrators use tools such as artificial intelligence and spoofed email addresses to channel law enforcement resources to a false scene. When a threat is circulated, Mills said recipients should contact 9 1 1 and Campus Safety, and refrain from responding, deleting or spreading the message.
Campus Safety officers will immediately evaluate the threat with law enforcement. If it’s deemed credible, the NYU community will immediately receive a text via NYU Alerts and be told to shelter in place. If it’s a hoax, Mills said the university will only communicate in some instances to avoid “sowing anxiety.” Additional updates will be sent through email via Clery Campus Notice and Campus Advisories.
Mills’ first memo following the incident detailed similar resources, including information sessions hosted by Campus Safety, Dean of Students Office and the Office of the Title VI Coordinator to address individual concerns. NYU’s Senator-at-Large for Black Students & Students of Color has since released a letter calling for the administrators to admit more Black students and bolster protections for Black students on campus. If the letter receives enough signatures and is approved in a student government meeting, it will be sent to senior leadership.
Mills said that cases of “mass violence are very rare” at NYU and directed members to an explainer and 10-minute video about how to respond to an active threat, which advised students to escape, hide and fight if necessary. She also encouraged members to sign up for monthly active-threat preparedness training sessions on Zoom, and to attend school-specific drop-in sessions that will soon be announced.
“These issues are complex, and there is more to do. But we are committed to listening, innovating, and improving,” Mills said. “Together, with your input and vigilance, we will continue working to make NYU a community that is as safe and supportive as possible.”
Contact Amanda Chen at [email protected].
