Weblog
01/11/03 11:15 PM: Shocking
As I type this entry, there are still several D.C. Metro Police cars parked outside my residence hall. It all began, now, roughly about three hours ago. I was getting ready to go to a party with some people I know from The Voice, when I saw the first Metro P.D. car speed up. Now, the thing you would need to know is that Metro police being on campus is not a common sight. Typically, any sort of on campus problem is handled by the University’s Department of Public Safety. So, when I saw the first Metro car arrive, along with what appeared to be a DPS officer on foot running towards the dorm, I was curious as to what was going on.
Within minutes, six or seven more Metro P.D. cars were on campus, along with several DPS cars. At this point, no one had any idea what was going on, but everyone was staring out the window, straining to see what was happening.
The way my residence hall is designed, there are two buildings, designated east and west. The police were rushing into the west building, and I live in east. Our floor has a window that overlooks the space between the two buildings, though, so we could follow the goings-on.
Soon, a D.C. Fire Department ambulance appeared. This, also, is extremely uncommon. For most on campus emergencies, the University E.M.S. service will respond to take whomever to the University Medical Center. It was at this point rumors began to swirl that there had been an attempted suicide, that was “most likely successful.” Eventually, the paramedics would take someone out of the other “wing” of the residence hall, while they attempted to perform CPR. However, one can tell by their pace that they were not in a particular hurry to get the person to a hospital.
Basically, everything I know now is all based on rumors, and is second hand. I did not talk to any of the officers who responded, though it did cross my mind to speak to them as this, unfortunately, would be a new story.
In any case, I still don’t know much, other than that I do not believe I know the person involved. The fact that this happened, whatever did happen, though is still quite shocking. While this does happen all too often on college campuses, it’s different when it hits so close to home.
I went to the party, not for my own enjoyment, but to speak to some of the people I knew would be there, whom I am friends with. Just in order to leave, I had to duck under two sets of police line tape. I felt very out of place at the party, and once I had spoken to the people I wanted to see, I left and came back.
It sort of reminds me of how I felt while 9/11 was unfolding, but different. Most of the shock has passed, and I don’t think the resulting feelings will be anywhere similar to what it was like after the terror attacks. I just thought I would write about this when the ideas are still fresh in my head.
I would probably feel different if I hadn’t watched the whole thing unfold, and to have seen them bring him out. While I am not a queasy person—this did not make me physically ill or anything of the sort—it was still disturbing. Disturbing, because it was so unexpected. If I had heard someone had died in a car accident, or some such, it would almost be more understandable, but this just so surprising.
I don’t have much else to say.
