Student pleads guilty to active shooter situation, UD trains community in response

Mugshot of Joseph Hartrich. Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Jail.

Zoë Hill | Print Editor-in-Chief

Joseph Hartrich, 19, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years probation after posting to Yik Yak an active shooter threat directed at the University of Dayton on Nov. 7. 

The former University of Dayton student, who was criminally trespassed from campus following the incident, appeared in court Dec. 13 to enter his plea. He pleaded guilty to one count of making false alarms, which is a fifth-degree felony in the state of Ohio. The charge came with the maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and up to a $2,500 fine, according to court documents.

In the months following the incident, the university has held town hall meetings and training to hear community concerns, address questions and promote being prepared on campus in the event of another active shooter threat or similar danger. 

One training, the Emergency Preparedness Training, was held in Kennedy Union Ballroom Feb. 9 for UD community members. The training was held by the university’s Emergency Management Committee and hosted by Robin Oldfield, associate vice president of audit, risk and compliance and chief risk officer; Melinda Warthman, Clery compliance officer; and Savalas Kidd, executive director of public safety and chief of police. 

The training walked community members in attendance through various emergency situations including active aggressor situations and fires. The committee also walked participants through steps to keep connected with campus communication tools including the Flyer Safe app and the emergency notification system. 

For previous coverage of the Nov. 7 incident, visit https://flyernews.com/campus/.

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