The fatal shootings at Trolley Square mall in Salt Lake City have left U students in a state of shock.
The shooter, Sulejmen Talovic, shot and killed five people and wounded at least four others at the mall, which is a little less than a mile and a half away from the U campus.
“You think of Salt Lake City as a safe place,” said Andrea Jackson, senior in gender studies. “This shooting seems so pointless and random.”
Joseph Vatsend, a senior in English, did not expect an incident like this to happen, he said, because Salt Lake City is normally calm.
“I was surprised,” Vatsend said. “Something on this scale, which has made national news, is shocking (because) this is typically a peaceful city.”
Bobby Doss, a junior in business, agreed.
“This is so horrible; I can’t believe that it happened here,” Doss said. “I am not from Utah and this is the first I have ever heard of a mass shooting.”
Temria Airmet, a sophomore in modern dance, said she found the shooting bizarre.
“I find it really scary,” Airmet, said. “Trolley Square is not in a sketchy neighborhood, which is what makes this so strange.”
This shooting comes at a time when legislators are attempting to pass a bill that would limit where concealed weapons could be carried on campus.
House Bill 251 would allow professors to restrict guns from their offices and let students living in the Residence Halls determine whether they have roommates with concealed weapons permits.
Dave Callister, a graduate student in social work, said he has mixed feelings about guns on campus. Although their presence does not make him feel unsafe, he does not like that almost anyone who desired a gun could get one.
“I don’t see a reason for (guns on campus),” Vatsend said. “This is a public institution and I don’t understand the necessity; we are here to get an education.”