Midterm Exam A powerful explosion rocked California State University Fullerton today at about 12:14 pm. You are a reporter for the Orange County Register and assigned to cover Fullerton. In your Fullerton office, you heard what sounded like a powerful blast, but after seeing nothing from your window, you concluded the noise was a sonic boom. About 12 minutes after the explosion, you heard the sirens of emergency vehicles. You now suspected the sound came from an explosion, and at 1:03 pm you received a tweet from the Fullerton Police Department. It said that there was an explosion at Cal State Fullerton and police had responded. You immediately drove to the campus and found it barricaded. Several journalists and camera crews were crowded near the barricade located two blocks from campusSome 200 feet beyond the barricade you saw paramedics transporting people to several ambulances parked on State College Boulevard, which runs in front of the campus. A Fullerton Police Department officer walked to where you and other journalists gathered. He identified himself as Robert Dunn, Fullerton police chief and then made the following statement: “I am deeply saddened to report that an explosion has killed and injured many people on the Cal State Fullerton campus. The blast occurred at about 12:10 near one of the entrances to Langsdorf Hall. At the time of the incident, many students were exiting the building and others were seated in a nearby courtyard. We do not yet know what caused the explosion. Our primary job right now is to secure the campus and ensure that there is no
danger of another explosion. We are in the process of evacuating students, faculty and staff. Fortunately, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is providing valuable assistance as is the Anaheim Police Department. FBI officials are in route. Emergency crews from all over Orange County are responding. I can now take questions.” An impromptu press conference followed with reporters asking questions and Dunn responding. A “Q” indicates a question and an “A” precedes an answer. Q: Chief Dunn, can you tell us how many people have been confirmed as fatalities and how many people were injured? A: Yes, I have some information. So far, there are 12 people confirmed as fatalities and 46 injured. These are preliminary numbers that might change over time. Q: Does that mean that some of those injured may not survive? A: I don’t want to suggest that any of the critically injured will not recover. But I do want to make clear that some have suffered grave injuries. It would appear these were people near the site of the explosion. Q: Are the casualties all connected to the campus? A: I am fairly certain that this is the case. I know some of the dead and injured are students, but I can’t tell you how many. We will have that information later today. Q: You said the cause of the explosion is undetermined, but do you have any early indication of what it could be?
A: No, we are not able to determine the cause at this point. Again, it appears the explosion occurred at one of two entrances to Langsdorf Hall. Q: Is it possible that someone left a bomb at a building entrance? A: Certainly, that is possi ble, but let me stress that it is too early to determine what caused the explosion. The FBI office in Santa Ana will lead the investigation into this tragic incident. I expect that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives will also be involved in the investigation. Q: Given the possibility that an explosive device was the cause, is the campus being searched? A: Yes, as a precautionary measure, bomb detection experts from our department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department are searching. We will report on this later today. Q: Does the FBI’s involvement suggest this was a criminal act?A: We cannot rule out anything, so we welcome the FBI’s help in determining the cause.I have to get to work. We will keep you posted. Please stay behind the barricades. You now looked for eyewitnesses. Across the street from campus, students, some of them crying, are standing and watching the rescue activities. Here is what some of the students told you: Tracey Chang, a senior: “I was way across campus near the student bookstore when I heard this huge blast. It frightened me. But I had to see what had happened. I ran toward Langsdorf and I saw all these students on the ground, and some of them were screaming. It was horrible, so I ran away. I was scared that another bomb could go off.”
Cynthia Chavez, a freshman. “I had a class in Langsdorf this morning, so I feel like I barely escaped being killed or hurt. When the bomb went off, I was coming out of the library with some friends. Right away I heard screaming and saw a lot of students running. I think they were getting away from where the bomb was.”Bryan Thomas, a sophomore: “I was like 50 yards from the explosion, and I felt the percussion it caused. It was horrible what I saw. There were a bunch of people—they were probably students—on the ground, bloody and unconscious.”Sandra Golden, a senior is crying as you approach her. Here is what she told you: “I’m worried about my friend. She has a class in Langsdorf and she’s not answering my texts. I hope what happened was not a terrorist attack. I couldn’t go back to campus if that turns out to be what happened.”You received an email statement from Cal State Fullerton President Fram Virjee: “All of us in the Cal State Fullerton family are shocked and saddened by this horrific catastrophe. Our heartfelt prayers go out to the family and friends of those impacted by this tragedy. We will need time to heal, but I am confident that we will fully recover. For now, the campus will remain closed until we are certain it is safe for students, faculty, and staff to return. We will be offering counselling to all those in need.”Instructions: Write a news story between 675 and 750 words. Take care to write a compelling lead. Incorporate and attribute as much information as you deem appropriate. Direct quotes will give
