By: Alexander Winton
The aftermath of the Michigan State mass shooting is still reverberating through universities across the country. U of I students were asked how safe they feel on campus these days.
One student, Juliana Gurevich had this to say:
"It feels very close to home even though we're on a different campus. Just that part of it's really shocking and it's like 'when will it end' because over the summer there were the Hyland Park shootings which were really close. It feels like it's getting closer and closer and that's scary."
Other students such as Rafael Cruz say they still feel safe but it comes with a caveat.
"In terms of this university, I feel safe but there's always the voice in the back of my head saying maybe this happens here," he said.
Luke Angelus, another U of I student, was emotional in addressing how the threat of gun violence casts a shadow over daily life.
"I'm always looking at the fire exits, the way in and the way out. Wondering if this will be the time somebody comes in and does something. If Michigan State, if movie theaters, it just feels like nowhere is safe anymore," he said.
In response to student's safety concerns, University of Illinois chancellor Robert Jones stressed in his school-wide email that plans are in place to deal with such a crisis but he hopes the day they have to be executed will never come.
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