First
and foremost, I am relieved and grateful that no one was seriously injured today
at the University of Rhode Island.
I
commend the Rhode Island State Police, local law enforcement officials, and URI
public safety for their quick response and thorough, ongoing investigation into
this matter.
While
I am pleased that initial reports of an active shooter proved to be unfounded,
incidents such as this offer an important opportunity to review our emergency
operations, and that will certainly be the case here. We will take a close look
at how this serious and potentially dangerous situation was
handled.
Keeping
students safe and secure is the most important responsibility of schools at all
levels, and today’s events are a reminder that we must be vigilant of the
potential for dangerous situations to arise in our places of
learning.
