Third party begins analyzing UNC's response to fatal campus shooting

UNC recently began an after-action review into the Aug. 28 fatal campus shooting, which will be completed by the end of the spring semester.

The Center for Naval Analyses, an independent, nonprofit research and analysis organization whose website says is dedicated to “the safety and security of the nation," is leading the process, which will be conducted in four phases. The CNA is the oldest federally funded research and development center in the nation. It informs the decisions of the Navy, Marine Corps and the U.S. Department of Defense. 

The organization, based in Arlington, Va., has conducted several after-action reviews in the past, including one other school shooting.

The CNA has analyzed high profile events such as the U.S. Capitol riot, multiple protests following the murder of George Floyd, four inaugurations and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. The CNA did not provide comment to The Daily Tar Heel regarding the after-action review.

The first phase of the review process involves data collection. The University sent out a Qualtrics form on Sept. 13 asking campus community members to share their concerns about how the emergency was handled. The data provided from the survey will be used to help inform the after-action process.  

The second phase will include interviews and data analysis, and the third and fourth phases will focus on the development of an after-action report that will be presented to campus leadership.

“We should expect to see out of that review process some opportunities to address immediate improvements,” UNC’s Director of Emergency Management and Planning Darrell Jeter said.

Jeter said the survey found a key interest around notification systems, campus infrastructure, building security and training. 

According to a summary published by the University, 3,362 completed responses were collected through the form. Of the respondents, 36 percent were students. 

Less than 4 percent of all UNC students completed the feedback portal.  

Minutes after the portal was sent out on Sept. 13, the UNC community experienced a second campus-wide shelter-in-place order when a firearm was brandished at Alpine Bagel Cafe. UNC first-year and campus safety advocate Violet Johnston said she thought the second gun-related incident may have undermined the effect of the survey, contributing to the lack of responses.

Jaleah Taylor, UNC’s Undergraduate Student Government secretary, said even though the survey came at a difficult time, she responded to the feedback portal. 

 “I think any time the University is reaching out to students and asking them about their opinions on the incident, and specifically how the University responded, I think that’s always a great way because it actually shows that University leadership is wanting to hear what the student body is saying,” Taylor said. 

According to the summary, 49.5 percent of respondents said the Alert Carolina updates during the Aug. 28 shooting were “not at all useful” or “slightly useful.” 50.4 percent of respondents said the updates were useful.

The CNA will review the shooting and UNC's response to it in order to provide recommendations to help the University adapt their emergency response plans moving forward. 

“I think it’s helpful to have third-party eyes on the actions of the Aug. 28 shooting and our reactions as a University,” Johnston said. 

In 2019, the UNC System released an after-action review following the fall of the Silent Sam Confederate statue on campus. For the process, which was ordered by the Board of Governors, third-party lawyers and consultants assisted in conducting the review.

“An after-action review is standard for major emergency situations on campus and is needed in order to make decisions about any necessary changes,” UNC Media Relations said in an email statement. 

This process is not new — in October, eight months after a campus shooting, Michigan State University, where former UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will soon begin his presidency, released a 26-page after-action report produced by Security Risk Management Consultants LLC. 

“It is normal for an after-action review to be a lengthy process because of the deep level of analysis, detail and collaboration that goes into the work on it,” Media Relations said.

Jeter said the report is expected to contain sensitive public safety information that cannot be released publicly. But, Jeter said he expects campus leadership will provide a summary of findings to the campus community. 

“I think the whole thing in tackling this has a lot to do with transparency because it’s one thing to have these changes made, but it’s another thing to communicate to students that these changes have been made,” Taylor said.

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