A photo taken today during UCLA’s current lockdown due to an active shooter on campus

UCLA’s campus is on lockdown, with two people dead in what looks like a murder-suicide according to CBS. The shooting reportedly occurred in the Engineering IV building, and people are being told to shelter in place. The biggest problem? Many of the doors in that building don’t have locks. So the engineering students are reinforcing the doors to keep safe.


As someone who has visited this part of UCLA a fair amount (and can hear the fire engines passing my apartment on their way to campus) it’s particularly chilling. But the tweets I’m seeing of people making tough engineering decisions in the face of yet another American mass shooting are somehow heartening (Update, 3:16pm ET: LAPD have confirmed it was “just” a murder-suicide, so no “mass shooting” here, which is a definition that Americans love to fight about). These brave people in the Engineering part of campus are doing what they do best: Engineering the fuck out of their labs. Welcome to America, 2016.

Above we see a photo taken just moments ago by Jason Schechter, who explains on Twitter: “The doors open outward and we can’t lock them so we are barricading things in front of the door # Ucla # activeshooter.”


Another Twitter user Daph, explains that they’re barricaded in another room in Bunche Hall. “Doors open outward, no locks. Lots of helicopters and yelling outside,” the person continues.

Twitter user Carrie Rapaport has tweeted, “Using my belt to lock the door down. # UCLA # activeshooter”


Pranasha Shrestha tweeted quite an elaborate set-up, saying that the doors open outward and that without locks they’re having to improvise.




This is still an ongoing situation but we’re hoping that the killing is through. And whatever the motivations of the killer or killers, fuck them in their fucking faces. Also, ban guns.

Update, 3:16pm ET: Los Angeles Police are confirming that there are two men dead and that there is no longer a threat on campus. Also, ban guns.