“Jon Antunes, instructor of the self-defense course and third-degree black belt in martial arts, said that what he predominantly centers the course around is general awareness and how students can avoid escalating potentially dangerous or life-threatening situations.”

The alert felt more like a chilling reminder that our lives could have been at risk for a moment. It was also very concerning to notice the message contained unclear information about where the potential shooter even was, as there is no specific “ITS building” on Baylor’s campus. 

Dr. Bill Powers, president of the University of Texas at Austin, justified the university’s decision to hold the evacuation ten minutes before the bomb was set to explode in a noon press conference on Friday. The university scheduled the press conference at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center to discuss the bomb threat as well the university’s response.

Powers opened the press conference with a declaration the university was safe.