Juan Villa / The Collegian

Students reacted to Monday night̢۪s shootings with sadness, confusion and a feeling of vulnerability.

Many found the tragedy hard to believe, especially as it comes on the heels of the Virginia Tech killings.

Freshman nutrition major Jennifer Smith said some of her sorority friends are residents of University Village and were evacuated to the Atrium. “I text messaged all my friends to see if they were OK,” Smith said.

A resident of Homan Hall, Smith said she was awakened at 4 a.m. to someone from dorm management coming by her room to drop off a flyer mentioning the incident and warning against going toward the area of Cedar and Barstow avenues.

“I felt safe that they took care of us,” Smith said.

Johanna Cuadros, a freshman living off campus, said she called her mom this morning and was told the shooter was still holed up at University Village. “So I felt safe to go around campus,” Cuadros said. She said she was listening to AM 1040 for updates of the incident.

About 10 students were hanging around the Atrium lobby at 9:30 a.m., listening intently to TV news updates. Some of the students, still wrapped up in blankets provided by the university, were among the residents of University Village to be evacuated to the Atrium.

One resident of the complex, freshman Candace Epperson, lives just below the apartment where the shooting took place.

“I was just coming home from the hospital, and then this happened,” Epperson said. She said she and roommate, sophomore LaVar Taylor, immediately knew what was going on and quickly locked the door.

“I saw flashing lights outside and heard voices, dogs. There was a lot of confusion,” Epperson said. Epperson also said she didn’t see anything going on when told to leave the complex at 4 a.m. and go to the Atrium.

In spite of her experience, Epperson said she still felt safe on campus, especially when other people are around.

“I got no sleep last night,” Taylor said. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”

Sophomore Anisha Jamnidas said she also lives at the University Village, about four apartments away from where the shooting took place. Unlike many residents, Jamnadas didn̢۪t leave during the night.

“They [SWAT team] gave us an option to stay, so we stayed,” Jamnidas said, also speaking for her roommate, senior Adriana Rivera. Jamnidas said they locked the door and tried to pass the time with homework before leaving in the morning for the school day.

“I have my toothbrush and PJs in my backpack,” Jamnidas said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now, or if I can return to the Village.”

Jamnidas said her sense of security has been shaken, as this is her first year at Fresno State and first semester living at University Village.

“You’d think this is a pretty safe part of town,” Jamnidas said. “It’s not a slummish area.”

Jamnidas said she works at Starbucks, sometimes until 12:30 a.m., and has to park on the street and walk into her apartment due to a lack of parking.

“It’s really not safe, being alone and being a woman,” Jamnidas said. She also said she plans to request not to work so late anymore.

Rivera said the SWAT team checked on them around 5:30 a.m. to see who was there and if they were OK, but she and her roommate decided against leaving when evacuation assistance was offered.

“I live in the comfort of my home,” Jamnidas said. “When I don’t have that comfort, I cry.”

Rivera said she and Jamnidas were surprised they were able to leave to go to classes today.

However, senior Song Vang, who had a class that went until 9:30 p.m., said although she always felt safe on campus at night, she may need to rethink her options in light of the shooting.

“I was worried going out here to the USU to study,” Vang said.

Another student now on heightened alert is sophomore Gaby Mares. “Now you’re asking whether it’s safe to be anywhere,” Mares said, also pointing to the recent Virginia Tech shootings.

Mares said she would definitely be more aware of her surroundings now. But she also said she wouldn̢۪t change her daily routine or live out of fear.

“Tragic things happen, but we just need to move on,” Mares said. “It’s better for classes to keep on continuing.”

But sophomore Samuel Avina, Jr. disagreed.

“My first reaction was why didn’t they close down campus?” Avina said. “The western part of campus should at least have been closed.

Avina, who commutes from Lemoore, said he decided to come to campus today anyway because of his classes.”

Avina said he thought Fresno State was a moderately safe place to be, but said he was still suspicious of everyone. “I’m always looking over my shoulder.”