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OSU football player from Tampa Bay prepared for campus attacks by family

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Malcolm Barrow is comforting his wife and daughters. He is also finally able to take a deep breath.

We met with him minutes after he talked to his son, Malik. A freshman football player at Ohio State.

"I'm OK I don't have time to panic because I need to keep her calm and his sisters calm," said Barrow.
But we do feel better knowing that police and authorities in the area reacted very quickly."

He showed us the texts he got from his 18 year old earlier.

Malik said "I'm locked in a classroom. I was walking and heard them," referring to police. He also told his dad he could hear all the chaos outside his classroom.

Police said a man plowed his car through a crowd and then began attacking people with a butcher knife.

Nine people got hurt until a police offer killed the suspect. Barrow said it's hard to even imagine it.

"We were just there for the Michigan game it was a very festive. You know a lot of celebration and to come back one day later and to hear that. It  was very concerning," said Barrow.

But sadly he said not surprised. Barrow said their son, a stand out defensive tackle, had 25 offers to play at Universities and colleges around the country. The Barrows knew he would be leaving home and reality told them to prepare Malik for all scenarios, including an attack on campus.

"We always tell him be safe, be vigilant and be aware of what's going on," said Barrow.

But he also knows sometimes circumstances are out of people's control.

The Barrows want Malik to follow his dream and attacks like the one at Ohio State can't hold him back.

"It's kind of a microcosm of what's going on in society today and that is sad, but it what we have to face," said Barrow.