Dear Odessa College Family:
There are no words to adequately describe the shock, grief and sorrow this tragedy has brought to our community and our campus. Sadly, members of both the immediate and extended Odessa College family were directly impacted by yesterday’s horrific event. We will be working with campus and local resources to ensure that students and employees have access to support services, including grief counseling, in the weeks to come.
Thank you to the Odessa College personnel who responded immediately and worked diligently to ensure our campus was safe. Both the Odessa College Police Department and student life residence hall staff acted swiftly to lockdown the residence halls and communicate the appropriate active shooter protocol to all students and employees. I also want to express my gratitude to our food services vendor, Great Western Dining – supporting our efforts, remaining under lockdown, and agreeing to extend campus dining services once the lockdown was lifted.
Leaning in and moving forward, we will grieve together. We resolve to support and lift up one another through our pain – making this campus and this community a better, safer, and stronger place.
Gregory D. Williams
President
(Affected students, please contact Vice President of Student Services to coordinate support kmckay@odessa.edu. Affected employees, please contact Vice President of Administrative Services to coordinate support at kzartner@odessa.edu. Additional information regarding grief counseling on campus will be sent via email and posted on the college’s social media sites.)
RESOURCES
The Texas Department of Public Safety along with the FBI and Odessa Police Department as well as other agencies will be opening a family assistance center for victims, families of victims, and anyone who was present during Saturday’s mass shooting.
Ector County Annex at 1010 E. 8th St in Odessa.
It will be open from 9 AM till 7 PM Tuesday, September 2.
Contact: Tom.Cooper@dps.texas.gov
Family Members
Anyone who believes they may have family members who are victims in this situation are urged to go to the Ector County Annex at 1010 E. 8th Street, or you can visit www.safeandwell.org.
Family Assitance
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The Red Cross will open the family assistance center tomorrow, Monday, September 2 from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. to provide food, water, mental health, and health services and spiritual care at 1010 E. Eighth Street, Odessa, TX 79761 (Ector County Annex).
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This support includes trained grief counselors and spiritual care providers connecting with those affected by the tragedy ensuring that they have the support to begin the healing process mentally and spiritually. Veronica Ramirez, Regional Communications Manager, American Red Cross, Veronica.ramirez@redcross.org.
Tips & Information
The FBI is asking anyone with information about this tragic incident to contact the FBI's National Threat Operations Center at 800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) . Tips may also be reported anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov.