Lee University reacts to massacre in Oregon

CLEVELAND, Tennessee(WDEF) – The shooting massacre at Umpqua Community College in Oregon causes a resounding impact on college campuses across the country, especially Christian campuses like Lee University.

The shooting rampage on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon may be more than 2300 miles from Lee University, but the impact from that event is forcing Lee University to think about its own security protocol.

"We’re currently in the process of going through our policy’s and procedures to make sure they’re up-to-date, especially if there is anything we can do to increase security or to make things easier for law enforcement coming on campus and to mitigate these things from happening," said Lee University Campus Security Director Matt Brinkman.

"From an institutional perspective, were definitely reviewing those policies and making sure every thing is being done that can be done," said University Relations Vice President Dr. Jerome Hammond.

Lee University student Brice Baker told News 12 that only so much can be done to prevent shooting massacres on college campuses. He used the example of guns on campus.

"Stopping people from bringing guns on campus is hard. I’m sure there are guns on Lee’s campus as we speak in someone’s car. Controlling that is very difficult," Barker said.

One of the more alarming reports to come out of the shooting massacre in Oregon is that the killer was targeting Christian students.

Lee University is a Christian school, so an attack on Christian students who are more than 2300 miles away Tennessee is something that hits home to students like Dumisa Moya who attends Lee University.

"As a Christian myself, going to a Christian university; it sets in a little bit because you realize there are people out there who disagree enough with your beliefs to actually want to take you life," Moya said.

To administrators like Dr. Hammond, the attack in Oregon that claimed multiple lives is more than just an attack on religion.

The larger tragedy is that we’ve lost some of our fellow Americans who were trying to improve their lives and lives of people around them," Hammond said.