Students Wonder if Attack was Preventable
By Hanna A. Gordola

When the shock wore off after Friday's hit-and-run incident, many students are asking themselves what the University could've done to prevent Muhammad Taheri-azar from driving an SUV into the crowded area around the Pit.

Immediately students pointed to the short, collapsible poles called bollards next to Lenior Dining Hall.

"I thought it was like, kind of ironic that they weren't up,” freshman Alejandro Lizardo said. “I don't know. What's the purpose of having them if you're not going to use them?"

Lizardo was at the Pit when Taheri-azar plowed through it. He said it's not the first time he's seen an unauthorized vehicle on campus. A couple of weeks ago, he witnessed an event that turned out to be an eerie precursor to the Taheri-azar attack.

“There was a person actually driving through the quad. And they were clearly drunk because they were hitting things,” Lizardo said. “Like they were hitting the bricks back and forth.”

Senior Mousin Omar has a similar story. “There's been cars that just came in. You know, and ask me for directions. I have seen that happen."

He said once a car drove from Bynum to Lenoir, the same path that Taheri-azar took.

There are no bollards behind Bynum, just planters and bushes. A big SUV like the one Taheri-azar drove can get through there easily. Grounds director Kirk Tallen said there is some talk about putting new bollards there to prevent Friday’s incident from happening again.

Most students said they still feel safe on campus despite what happened. Some said they like having more police on campus. Although campus police can't disclose operations information, spokesman Randy Young said having police more visible on campus is important, especially now.