Days after UK student’s death, LiveSafe co-founder speaks on campus

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Timing is everything. Less than a week after a UK student was murdered near campus, there are conversations about safety.

It’s not just any conversation though; it’s an app that according to UK Police has been downloaded by 10% of UK students.

Friday night, Ben Conner was offering a prayer for slain friend and UK student Jonathan Krueger. Less than a week since Krueger’s killing, Conner sits with others, listening about campus safety.

"It’s a tragedy that you don’t ever foresee you going through," he says.

The timing is eerie. The presentation about the LiveSafe app was scheduled this winter, shortly after its soft launch on UK’s campus. Snow pushed it to now, as Krueger’s killing is fresh on the minds of many.

"I think it opens the eyes of a lot more people. We talk about safety a lot and precautions and things of that nature. But when you’re not affected by it, it’s harder for you to understand those precautions," says Conner.

LiveSafe co-founder Kristina Anderson knows tragedy. She carries permanent reminders of the Virginia Tech shooting.

"I was shot three times, so I’ll share my experience from the day, kind of lessons learned and what it was like to actually live through that event," says Anderson.

Before her presentation, Anderson was brought up to speed with Krueger’s death.

"The kind of thing that you always think doesn’t happen here. People tell me they know the street where it happened, they pass the bars, it kind of hits close to home," she says.

Students agree and say Krueger’s death will likely be a major influence in why the app is used.

"Really hits home because people had class with him, they knew him. People were friends with him and you know all the people who showed up for the memorial, so knowing someone your age was in that situation, I don’t know why they wouldn’t download it," says one student.

On its website, University of Kentucky News posted a "how to" for those interested in downloading the app:

"UK LiveSafe is available as a free download from iTunes or Google Play for iPhone and Android devices. The UK LiveSafe mobile app can be downloaded to smartphones in just three easy steps.

 

1.          Open Google Play or the Apple App Store on your phone. Search for "LiveSafe" and download the option with the blue shield.

2.          Tap "Sign up." Fill in your profile information and create a password.

3.          The University of Kentucky may pop-up if you are close to campus. If so, tap "Yes." Otherwise tap "Change" to select your school."