By admin 
Days after shots were fired on Sacramento State’s campus during the football team’s first home game of the season, officials issued a message to students, staff and faculty assuring them that security remained the top priority at events. The university said it would seek to do more to ensure a safe game day experience. No injuries were reported in the incident and an investigation remains ongoing.
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“We want to share this is the largest amount of public safety and security presence we have had to date at a home opening football game and yet still, we will continue to identify additional measures we can implement to foster a safer game day experience for our campus community, visitors, and guests,” the message from Sacramento State Police Chief Chet Madison Jr. and Chief Financial Officer Rose McAuliffe said. “Safety and security will remain the top priority at every campus event.”
What happened?
At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Saturday night, while the Hornets played against Mississippi Valley State with more than 18,500 fans in the stands, two shots were fired at a campus parking structure that sits right opposite the stadium. That structure is the main parking facility for spectators.
After a student community service officer reported hearing the shots, university police officers arrived on scene in less than a minute, according to campus officials. They confirmed two shots had been fired and no one was injured. Witnesses reported that the suspects fled from the parking structure on foot and left campus.
As a precaution, the Sacramento State Police Department sent out an emergency notification alerting the campus community of the situation and advising them to avoid parking structure while officers investigated. They also placed the stadium under a shelter-in-place order. By 8:10 p.m., that order was lifted and the police informed the community that there was no ongoing threat.
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The game went on uninterrupted and Sacramento State beat Mississippi Valley State 52-0. The win was Sacramento State’s first as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision program. A post-game concert featuring rapper NoCap also went on as scheduled.
What next?
The incident has raised questions about campus security during big events. According to campus officials, the university enlisted the largest security presence it has ever had for a home opening football game Saturday. It included Sacramento State Police Department officers as well as additional sworn officers from other California State University campuses and security personnel hired for the event. In addition, every guest had to go through a metal detector screening and have their bag searched before entering the stadium, officials said.
The university said it will identify additional measures it can implement on game days to ensure safety. The next home game is set for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 against North Dakota State.
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