On Friday afternoon, the Colorado Springs police responded to a shooting that resulted in two fatalities. One of the deceased was identified as Qualin Campbell, a 32-year-old father of two. His attorney, Harry Daniels, believes he had been taken hostage by an unidentified homeless person who had gained access to his car without permission.
Campbell’s wife Talija had received a message from her husband saying “911. Send Please!” along with his location and a picture of his captor. The desperate plea hadn’t been answered though, and when police arrived at the scene an hour later Campbell was found dead from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
This tragedy has highlighted the very real danger posed by a lack of response from law enforcement; it makes clear that none of us are safe if police don’t respond to hostage situations. This was made all the more heartbreaking for Qualin’s family, who had called 911 nearly an hour earlier but their call went unanswered until it was too late.
Qualin Campbell’s death serves as another example of how people can be taken advantage of in times when they are most vulnerable—not just on our streets but also within our own homes and vehicles, where we should feel safe and secure yet often have little protection against those looking to do us harm.
This incident emphasizes how little we rely on law enforcement in times of need. We all deserve to have our calls for help heard and acted upon. It is crucial that police respond quickly and effectively to any situation where someone may be at risk so that tragedies like this one can be avoided in the future.
The family of Qualin Campbell has released statements regarding this tragedy with hopes that their loss will serve as a reminder for the importance of responding quickly when people ask for help; no one should ever find themselves in danger without feeling like they can count on emergency services coming to their aid immediately.
