(Photo by Laurel Morales - KJZZ)

Part of NAU's campus was closed off after a shooting on campus on Oct. 9, 2015.

Flagstaff Police Department

Steven Jones is accused in the Oct. 9, 2015, fatal shooting at Northern Arizona University.

The father of a Northern Arizona University student who was fatally shot Friday said something needs to be done about gun violence in the United States.

A second deadly shooting occurred later the same day at Texas Southern University. A week prior, a mass shooting occurred at an Oregon college.

Police said 18-year-old Steven Jones shot Colin Brough and wounded three other students following a fight between two groups.

Doug Brough, the victim’s father, visited a makeshift memorial at NAU Saturday and told the Arizona Republic he didn’t understand why an 18-year-old would have a gun in his car. Many NAU students were confounded by this as well, including senior Haley Leonard.

"It’s really scary to think that someone would bring a gun to campus with intentions to kill someone and maybe wound someone. I think this is going to be a turning point and I really hope it is," said Leonard.

Arizona universities do not allow guns in dorm rooms, but Arizona state law allows students to have them locked in a glove compartment or trunk.

Campus safety experts say it’s difficult to assess how safe universities are today, but agree police are responding more quickly to active shooter alerts. NAU police received initial calls at 1:20 a.m. Friday. NAU authorities said they had the suspect 2 minutes later.

The university, however, said the dispatcher had trouble fielding calls and sending text alerts to the entire nearby residence hall notifying students to stay inside and lock their doors.

All of NAU received messages more than an hour after the incident occurred.