According to CNN, there have been at least 33 school shootings across the United States as of July 2025, resulting in 15 deaths and at least 41 injuries. At the University of Southern Mississippi, students and officials discussed campus preparedness if such an incident were to occur.
Sophomore Chenadi Marshall said she believes USM is prepared for an active shooter situation. She cited the presence of campus police as a factor that makes her feel safer.
“I feel like USM is prepared because if you go on campus,” Marshall said. “Campus police is pretty, you know, vigilant.”
Senior Gabby King said she does not feel the same way. She connected her concern to the number of shootings reported in Hattiesburg.
“Personally, no, just because of Hattiesburg in general,” King said. “I feel like most shootings that have happened aren’t handled officially because they are happening repetitively over and over again.”
Rusty Keyes, USM’s associate vice president of public safety and chief of police, said the University Police Department (UPD) is prepared to respond to an active shooter on campus. He noted that while no two events are alike, having a plan is critical. He encouraged students and faculty to view the active shooter training video available on USM’s campus safety website.
“First thing to know is that no active shooter situation is the same,” Keyes said. “There’s the unknown of things you cannot factor in, but to overall plan and prepare for situations such as an active shooter, UPD and The University of Southern Mississippi is very prepared.”
The training video outlines three recommended responses: “Get out” (run), “Hide out” (hide) or “Take out” (fight). The video advises individuals to run if possible, hide if escape is not an option, and, as a last resort, fight the shooter.
USM and the Hattiesburg Police Department also conduct annual active shooter training exercises. Keyes said the drills ensure coordination between campus police, local authorities and state officials in the event of an emergency.
“We train together so we all do the same thing at the same time,” Keyes said. “We know how to respond; we know what kind of teams we got to put together to respond to the situation and what kind of building and how to communicate. We talk the same language, so that is why we train, and that training is very successful.”
Students are encouraged to visit usm.edu/police for more information about active shooter procedures. Keyes also urged students to register for Eagle Alert, which provides emergency notifications through email, text and phone calls.
