Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — July 10, 2016
View the latest update - July 16, 11 a.m.
View the second media update - July 8, 11 a.m.
View the original media update - July 8, 12:39 a.m.
MEDIA UPDATE
7:30 p.m., July 10
Summer II Session Information
Due to the closure of El Centro College’s downtown campus buildings, the following procedures have been established regarding the Summer II session, scheduled to start on July 12.
- All West Campus and Bill J. Priest face-to-face classes will begin on July 12 as normally scheduled with no changes in times or room numbers.
- All online classes with begin on July 12 as normally scheduled.
- All face-to-face classes scheduled in A, B, C, R and Paramount Buildings will start on July 12; however, the first week of course content, assignments, tests and discussion board postings will be online. There will be no in-class meetings from July 12 through July 17. Instructors will be contacting students with activities for the first week of classes.
Students should check email for up-to-date information on classes and the re-opening of our downtown campus buildings.
College Closing
The Downtown Campus, R Building, Paramount, Wellness Center and One Main buildings will remain closed through July 17, until further notice.
Our West and Bill J. Priest campuses are open and will operate on a regular work schedule, handling normal duties.
Heroic Actions
We would like to salute El Centro’s chief of police, Joseph Hannigan, and our college police officers for their heroic actions during this tragic event. In addition to Chief Hannigan, five El Centro police officers worked the evening of the shootings: Detective/Corporal Bryan Shaw, Officer John Abbott, Officer Luis Hernandez, Officer Andrew Maughan and Officer Gene Pouncy.
Two El Centro officers were injured as a result of their heroic actions. Following the initial chaos and confusion, early accounts indicated that Corporal Shaw was actually shot when the suspect began to shoot out the glass doors at the Lamar entrance. The bullets broke through the glass and into the building. Corporal Shaw was hit under his vest by one of those bullets as he guarded the entrance. Shaw returned to protect other officers and civilians with bullet fragments still lodged in his stomach and was not examined by Emergency Medical Services personnel until 3 a.m. He will require surgery but is resting at home with his family.
Officer Abbott also was guarding the Lamar entrance and sustained injuries to both legs from the knees down from flying glass that was penetrated by bullets from the shooter. Abbott currently serves as a U.S. Navy corpsman (medic). Abbott first went to the immediate aid of downed DART officer Brent Thompson; he attempted to render aid and save Thompson’s life, but the DART officer was mortally wounded and died on the scene. Abbott then took care of the lacerations he himself had received from the broken glass and then returned to protect other officers and civilians. He is recovering at home with his family.
During this difficult time, both officers have asked for privacy during their recovery.
Several off-duty El Centro officers responded once the shooting started: Captain Rex Gaston, Sergeant Lauri Boudreau, Sergeant Mike Holmes, Corporal Erroll Russell, Officer Donald Brazil, Officer Michael Brown, Officer Rodrigo Garcia, Officer Charles Stewart and Officer Troy Willis. Additionally, Officer Nathan Reed from our West Campus and Lieutenant Michael Beissel from DCCCD’s North Lake College also came downtown to assist on the night of the shooting. Since the shootings, all DCCCD chiefs have been in contact with Chief Hannigan to offer resources and manpower as needed.
Our El Centro College Police Department has shown true heroism as they protected the safety of our students, staff, civilians and other officers involved in Thursday’s shooting. We salute you, and we appreciate you.
Community Support
Our Food and Hospitality instructors Chris LaLonde, Jackie Preston and Food and Hospitality Director Steve DeShazo have partnered with Chili’s and Maggiano’s to provide meals for Dallas PD and El Centro officers as well as everyone involved working through the night on site. Culinary faculty also have helped serve those meals. We would like to thank Chili’s and Maggiano’s (part of the Brinker International company), especially Dom Perry, vice president of Operational Services and Learning & Development of Brinker International, for organizing and providing food for all law enforcement officials who are on the scene at El Centro.
Following the tragic shooting in downtown Dallas last night, all campuses and locations of El Centro College are closed today as the investigation by Dallas police continues.
General Information
The main campus as well as locations at 701 Elm St. and the Paramount Building will remain closed until buildings are released by the Dallas Police Department back to the college. El Centro’s West Campus and the Bill J. Priest Institute will be open this weekend.
Five El Centro College officers were on duty last night and are assisting the Dallas Police Department with their investigation. An assessment of damage to the downtown complex is not available at this time. Damages occurred in all three buildings; the amount of damage varies from building to building.
Approximately 20 afternoon/early evening classes were concluding, and four or five other classes would have been ending at 9 p.m. Several continuing education classes also were in the building. An exact count of the number of students and employees in the building is not yet available.
Doors were locked on the main campus as a precautionary measure at 8 p.m. in preparation for the protest that was scheduled near the college; the measure was not an emergency lockdown. A voice mail notification was sent to the college and not a PA announcement as previously stated. Five college police officers were on duty, and the police chief was on site as well.
Two employees in the El Centro College Wellness Center also were on lockdown; the center is located on the top two floors of the former Texas Club Building, which the college leases. The parking garage associated with the shooting is owned by Bank of America and not El Centro College, as reported by area news media.
Students and employees on lockdown in the main building were escorted to Dallas Police Headquarters after midnight. The two employees on lockdown in the wellness center were cleared to leave at 3 a.m.
No students or faculty were injured.
Security Information
All El Centro students and employees are required to wear laminated identification cards on campus at all times. Security staff members are stationed at entrances to the building’s main campus to check IDs; community members and visitors are asked to sign in when they enter the building.
Security cameras are located throughout the building. Following the shooting in Dallas last night, the security cameras went down when the college website crashed, overloaded by the volume of hits the website received. IT staff members are working to restore both the website and the security cameras.
Counseling
Counseling is being offered to students, employees and police officers. Until the main campus reopens, students and employees can: call a 24-hour crisis line at 775-784-8090 or text “answer” to 839863; contact Crisis Counseling at 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746; or call 800-273-8255.
El Centro College Fast Facts
Founded: 1965
First classes: 1966
Locations: Main campus — 801 Main St., downtown Dallas; West Campus, 3330 N. Hampton Road, Dallas; 701 Elm St., downtown Dallas; Paramount Building (nursing and allied health), downtown Dallas; Wellness Center (former Texas Club Building), downtown Dallas (across from main campus); One Main, downtown Dallas; Bill J. Priest Institute, Corinth Street, South Dallas
President: Dr. Jose Adames
Enrollment: Summer enrollment (unduplicated) for credit courses is 7,455; for the fall 2015 semester, 10,196 — 66 percent female; 89 percent part time; average student age: 27
Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available.
El Centro College at 801 Main in downtown Dallas and the El Centro Wellness Center remain on lockdown. Students and faculty are still in the main campus buildings, and two employees are on lockdown in the Wellness Center.
The campus was placed on lockdown at 8 p.m. as a precaution before protesters reached the area; the shootings occurred approximately an hour later, according to news and police reports. The lockdown was announced using the public address system, and all exterior doors to the campus were locked at that time. El Centro Police officers were inside the complex as the lockdown occurred.
A social media news blast was sent by the college to announce the college closing on Friday, immediately prior to a districtwide media message sharing the closing information as well.
The number of students and employees in the buildings is not known at this time.
Updates will be provided as they become available.
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Read media updates on the shooting in downtown Dallas: