Three police officers were shot in the nearby Los Angeles neighborhood of Lincoln Heights on Wednesday, March 8, just under four miles away from Cal State LA’s campus.

In a press conference on the night of the incident, the Los Angeles Police Department said that after hours of standoff, the suspect exchanged gunshots with officers, leading to the three being struck and hospitalized.

The officers survived but the suspect was found dead.

Wednesday’s shooting comes just after several violent crimes occurred over the past week in communities surrounding Cal State LA.

“It’s rather concerning to see an increase in violence in the past one or two weeks,” said Marco Toledo, a public health student who lives in the dorms on campus.

Criminal justice major Cade Caudle also lives in student housing. He said he’s noticed some more police presence around campus.

“I’ve noticed that since the upticks in crimes, at night, we’ve had officers more frequently within the dorms and areas that students would be at night,” Caudle said.

Cal State LA’s Campus Police is an accredited law enforcement agency, which makes Caudle feel safer.

“I know [recent crimes] make a lot of other students on campus feel unsafe or uneasy,” Caudle said. “I think that knowing that we have the best possible safety team on campus is something that makes it a little bit easier.”

Cal State LA’s Campus Police have yet to respond to The University Times’ request for comment on recent crime near campus.

Students like Toledo and Caudle have their methods for staying safe when out at night, whether on campus or not.

While out and about, “I usually just take my headphones out and try to stay vigilant in terms of hearing and seeing,” Toledo said.

Caudle suggests that students avoid being out alone and, instead, try to go out with groups.

The Los Angeles Police Department addressed the public on Wednesday evening, confirming that the officers who were hospitalized are now in stable condition and that the suspect is dead.

In a statement sent to the University Times via email on March 17, a Cal State LA’s Public Affairs representative said that the university’s “public safety officers, Eagle Patrols, and Community Service Officers are patrolling campus and the immediate areas around campus, as much as possible.”

Furthermore, they recommended students, staff and faculty download the Rave Guardian mobile app, which can be used to report suspicious activity anonymously and access other resources.

“The Department of Public Safety also offers a free walking Eagle Patrol escort service 24/7 to help students, faculty, staff, and visitors feel safe while on campus,” the statement said.

To find out more about this escort service, call the Department of Public Safety at 323-343-3700.