Citizen was the only way I found out why FIT was locked down.
During the shooting scare at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Citizen kept students fully informed
On Friday April 5th, Sarah, a senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology, was walking down the hallway on her way to school when she received a text from her friend out of the blue.
“R u guys ok I got a shelter alert thing from FIT”
Confused, she quickly discovered an ominous email FIT had just sent out to all students:
“Due to an unspecified threat, a shelter in place is in effect. Please lock all doors and secure all windows. More information to follow.”
She spun around back towards her room, took out her phone and opened Citizen, where she knew would find the detailed information she needed. She was right.
NEARBY: ‘Man Brandishing Firearm at FIT’
By this time, Citizen already had multiple updates explaining exactly what was going on that caused FIT to instigate the lockdown: ‘An armed man in a trench coat has reportedly locked himself inside of a Fashion Institute of Technology building.’
Sarah, who was now being hit with messages from friends and family asking what was happening and if she was in danger, took screenshots of the Citizen updates and quickly sent them around to the people who most deeply cared about her safety.
“Citizen was a live report of what was going on when the school said nothing. A lot of people didn’t know if it was real. Citizen gave me a sense of control, having access to knowledge,” Sarah said.
She followed the incident updates as they happened live, safe from her dorm room. Her friends asked her what app this was coming from.
“You have to get citizen [app]”, she said. Her friend quickly installed Citizen.
As the investigation went on, Citizen updated that Emergency Service Units were on the scene, along with detailed descriptions of the man brandishing the weapon.
Soon, it was revealed that the suspect had fled to the nearby Barnes & Nobles bookstore, where was he finally apprehended.
“The minute they had him in custody, it was relieving. It gave me a sense of control, having access to this knowledge.”
Sarah uses Citizen daily to avoid areas where police are investigating bicycle collisions, and to keep her informed about fires and other situations in her neighborhood. She says Citizen keeps her calm and aware of the things people need to know about when living in a place like New York.
But that Friday, the emergency impacted more than just her walking route — this affected her entire school body. Having the information from Citizen, when the FIT update remained vague, was the difference between an uninformed panic, and a knowing peace of mind.
“Whenever something major happens, everyone is asking each other what’s going on, and almost no one knows. It’s so nice to be able to look at your phone, and see exactly what the emergency is. Knowing what’s happening is what keeps me calm.”
Citizen instantly sends safety alerts directly to your phone whenever significant crime or emergencies happen near you.
