Many students have at one time or another given the security guards at the Quinnipiac gates a hard time when identification is requested.
Students pull up to the gates, either late to class or late picking up a friend, when their vehicle is stopped, and a security guard asks to see their Quinnipiac ID.
Frustrated, they dig through your wallet, book bag, console, Kate Spade Bag, or whatever it may be, find their ID, show it to the guard and find themselves questioning why this inspection is necessary.
To put it simply, it’s for student protection from incidences such as a shooting that occurred at SUNY Farmingdale, Long Island, on Feb. 25.
Anklav Dwyer, 25, was shot once in the chest inside one of the campus’ dorms after an argument erupted between him and another student, Curtis Agard, 20.
The shooting happened in the middle of the afternoon after Dwyer went to settle a dispute between his brother’s girlfriend and Agard’s girlfriend.
Dwyer received word that Agard was in his girlfriend’s room. He then let himself into her dorm, which was located on the second floor of the Lehman Hall dormitory.
According to police, the two men were in the room having a heated argument before Agard pulled out a gun and shot Dwyer in the chest.
Agard, with the gun still in his hand, ran out of the dorm room and up to the 4th floor where he hid in another student’s room until police found him. After police entered, the gun was recovered and Agard was arrested.
Dwyer was rushed to the hospital with severe chest wounds and remains in critical but stable condition. Agard has been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree criminal use of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
College officials believe that Dwyer (who does not live in the dorm) found his way into the building either through a friend, or an open window. Students have been telling the school that many nonresidents have been able to enter the building through open windows in the dorm.
SUNY Farmingdale has found in necessary to enforce stricter visitor rules on campus.
The shooting at SUNY has been the second incident of violence to occur at a college or university in the three weeks following the Fairfield University hostage situation. Many campuses are now finding it necessary to look over campus procedure to ensure student safety.
John Twining, Chief of Quinnipiac security, felt horrible after he heard the news about what happened at SUNY Farmingdale. When asked what the chances of such an incident occurring at Quinnipiac, Twining feels that the chances are slim.
“We have a good system at Quinnipiac that usually causes little problem. People are supposed to be registered so we know who is here,” said Twining.
“Unfortunately, you don’t know what a bad person looks like. They don’t have a “B” on their forehead” said Twining.
As far as any changes in visitor registration, Twining feels confident with the system already.
“If I ever felt it necessary to avoid anything, we would do it immediately. At this time we [security] are doing as much as we can do,” he said. “You have to remember that this is a free society, not a jail.”