By Brigit Wuolle
There have already been two mass school shootings resulting in injuries or deaths since the 2025-2026 school year started: one in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, and another in Evergreen, Colorado, on Sept. 10. These acts of violence have steadily become part of life. Students now prepare for active shooters just like they would for fires or tornadoes.
William MacDonald, the Director of Security and Public Safety on campus, provided information on the procedures in place to keep students safe at Concordia. “The best way to be alerted [of an active threat] is with our emergency text messaging system. It’s called Omnilert e2Campus,” MacDonald said. This is an opt-out program, meaning all students are automatically enrolled. Students will receive an email with more information about this in late September or early October.
MacDonald pointed out that campus security is not armed, but Moorhead police can respond in minutes if there is an active threat on campus. This is crucial, as MacDonald explained. “The average active shooter situation in the United States begins and ends in less than 10 minutes.”
He also emphasized the importance of the “Run, Hide, Fight” model, which is an initiative from the Department of Homeland Security.
The first step is to run. MacDonald said, “If you hear gunshots or you know of an active shooter, put as much time and distance between yourself and the threat as possible.”
Hide is next. “If you can’t get out,” MacDonald said, “you’re going to have to find a place to hide.” He suggested locking the doors, turning off the lights, and closing the window blinds. MacDonald pointed out that if someone is hiding and can’t speak, texting 911 is an option. This is not true nationwide, but it is the case in Moorhead, Fargo and West Fargo.
Fight is the final part of the response model and is a last resort. MacDonald advised throwing “improvised weapons” such as phones, chairs or podiums to incapacitate the shooter.
Students can learn more about how to respond if a situation like this were to occur by attending a one-hour training session. These sessions are offered at the beginning of each semester.
False reports of school shootings have recently surged and are targeting schools across the country. Take the recent shooter report at North Dakota State University (NDSU).
“We didn’t know what was going on,” said Ava Borgerding, a freshman at NDSU, as she shared her experience with a false report of an active shooter on the NDSU campus on Aug. 28, 2025. This report was unfounded, but a sobering reminder of what could happen. Borgerding heard sirens and saw emergency vehicles, but she didn’t know what they were for. Students received an email explaining the response and false report hours later.
“There’s a lot of safety measures in place,” Borgerding said, explaining that she feels secure on campus. However, her parents were scared by the event. “I told my mom, and she started crying.”
When asked how she feels about having to worry about school shootings at all, Borgerding simply said, “I hate it.”
