On August 18, students received a Cougar Alert notification over email or phone about a gun-related incident on campus near Lenoir Annex which had occurred that morning. The alert, sent around 11 a.m., stated that the CSU police department had responded and there was no further threat.  

   The initial alert was vague, but further details were revealed by CSU’s president, including that two students were involved in an apparent homicide-suicide. Authorities later released the identities of the deceased: Gisele Lara, 21, and Nathaniel Janik, 25. A tragic loss of life has occurred, and the CSU population has been shaken up by the news. As Dr. Stuart Rayfield, the President, has said: “Whether they were friends, classmates, or students, or someone you never met, we can all agree that a loss of life is a loss for all of us.” 

   Other news outlets such as WTVM, have covered some more details about the event, but CSU’s own reporting of the incident to the campus has been a brief recount. The school is offering their support to those affected by the tragedy. Campus resources such as counseling services have been offered to impacted students. The university also held two events focused on healing and public safety: a moment of silence before the Women’s Soccer team’s scrimmage match with the University of West Georgia on campus two days later, and a community meeting during which students, faculty, and staff came together to discuss emergency response procedures on the day of the event and in the future.  

   The family of victim Gisela Lara invited CSU community members to a memorial service held on August 26 at St. Anne Catholic Church. The Uproar encourages everyone to take a moment to reflect on the incident and offers their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. In such a difficult time, we encourage students to reach out for support.