Double murder prompts security changes at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs campus

The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs plans to make changes to improve campus safety after two people were shot to death in a dorm in February.

The shooting suspect, UCCS student Nicholas Jordan, pleaded not guilty in November to the death of his roommate Samuel Knop and Celie Montgomery.

University officials released a report Thursday detailing how the campus handled the conflict between the suspect and the victim leading up to that shooting. The report said the victim made multiple complaints to the university, including that Jordan smoked marijuana and had a woman living with him.

Authorities said at one point, the conflict became so bad that an officer was called to the dorm. The responding officer reported hearing the suspect tell Knop, "You better watch your life."

"While the review finds improvements we can and will make, it does not find that any individual at the university was responsible for the violation of policy or that anyone knowingly contributed to this tragic outcome. We have staff members and faculty here that still carry guilt to this day, and it is important to acknowledge that there is ultimately one person responsible for these crimes," said school officials in a press conference.

The report states that, while none of the UCCS staff disregarded the safety of others, there are plans to improve campus safety.

Planned changes include:

• Improve tracking of multiple reports of behaviors of concern from a single student.
• Conduct a full review of the UCCS threat assessment protocol to ensure it is comprehensive and includes follow-up with students appropriately.
• Add a representative from UCCS's Counsel's Office to the CARE Team.
• Thorough documentation of CARE Team discussions, particularly in cases where multiple behaviors of a single student are noted.
• Ensure ongoing, appropriate support, including additional staffing to improve the critical function of the CARE Team.
• Redouble training efforts around reporting behaviors of concern to the CARE Team and expanding the groups engaged and trained to a broader array of campus units outside the traditional groups.
• Immediate review of residence life and housing policies to reduce bureaucracy and ensure that serious incompatibility issues between roommates are more quickly identified and have a clearer and quicker path to resolution.
• Increase training for Resident Assistants.
• Review and enhance training for housing staff to ensure that all staff have the tools to accurately track and report student behaviors of concern as well as to resolve conflict and conduct other needed monitoring and oversight.
• Review UCCS Emergency Operations Plans.
• Conduct more frequent tabletop exercises to test emergency operations and responses.
• Implement campus training on the terminology used in emergencies.