The zombie outbreak grows

Officials have reported that at least five humans were being infected with the zombie virus each hour on Tuesday. 

Five zombies an hour. That's the rate at which the undead legions were growing at Utah State University as of Tuesday afternoon after the zombie virus began spreading on campus earlier in the morning.

In response to the outbreak students have started initiating different survival strategies.

“People are beginning to move in groups,” said Jake Bednar, a member of an anti-undead paramilitary group known as The Resistance. “Some groups have started carrying boxes filled with darts to protect themselves.”

In addition to fighting zombies with Nerf darts, which are toxic to the undead, a few people like Hannah Stallard are battling their attackers with sock bombs, which are also poisonous to zombies.

Stallard said, though, that avoidance and running are the best ways to stay alive. She specifically is avoiding the Taggart Student Center and is traveling alone to avoid drawing attention to herself.

“I don’t feel that threatened yet," Stallard said. "I’ve only seen two zombies in the safe zones and haven’t seen any walking to class.”

Stallard acknowledged, however, that as the week continues and more people are infected the threat will grow.

UnDeadline reporters Amanda Ahlman, Cassidy Stephens, Sara Bailey, Mitch Watkins, Robyn Van Valkenburg contributed to this report.

Humans successfully rescue their own.

Zombies at Utah State University appear to becoming even more hungry of human flesh.

A human trapped by zombies in the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation building at Utah State University was rescued today by the anti-undead paramilitary organization The Resistance. 

Four zombies had the human cornered in the building at 6:30 p.m. After making a phone call, The Resistance organized a rescue squad of four humans.

“It was pretty intense," said Jacob Tibbitts, the squad commander. "We didn’t know where the zombies were going to be.”

The mission required the squad to travel from Mountain View Tower, a student housing complex, to the HPER building. 

Two squad members reportedly took a more dangerous route, which caused complications in the mission.

“We had to follow them so they didn’t get caught,” Tibbitts said.

The mission was successfully completed and all humans survived, but Kenneth Fryar-Ludwig of the League of Supernatural Nations said similar operations might not be as successful in the near future. 

“It is getting harder for the humans,” Fryar-Ludwig said. 

UnDeadline reporters Amanda Ahlman, Cassidy Stephens, Mitch Watkins, Robyn Van Valkenburg and Sara Bailey contributed to this report.

‘Door crashing’ proves fatal for humans

A zombie waits for human prey on the campus of Utah State University on Tuesday.    

At 11:41 a.m. today, three zombies waited outside the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building on the Utah State University campus in what anti-zombie militia members are calling a "door crash."

The ambush proved fatal for Brandon Davis, who had been a key fighter for the humans during the early hours of the war against the undead.

The zombie army has been gaining in numbers on the strength of similarly planned attacks like the door crash, a tactical approach to infecting humans that entails a decoy. 

In such ambushes, zombies station themselves outside of a safe zone, act as if they are scared of the approaching human’s stun orbs and proclaim vocally that they won’t attack. As soon as the human is close enough to the entry of the building, an infected zombie runs out of the door and proceeds to being the gnawing of human flesh that spreads the undead virus. 

Acting as the distraction, zombie Kenzie Crapo waited for Davis to approach her. 

Crapo later said she had hoped to hold onto what she called a “beautiful life” prior to the attack that claimed her own mortal life. 

“I stayed up until one in the morning because I was so anxious," Crapo said. "I thought I would last longer than I did... now, I have helped kill three humans by being a decoy.”

At least 23 other humans had succumbed to the virus early Tuesday. Like the rest, Crapo said she now cannot resist her desire for human flesh.

Not all humans have resisted the plague.

James Kelmer voluntarily accepted the zombie virus as part of the initial outbreak. 

“I understood that the virus was inevitably going to take over the humans," Kelmer said. "I asked myself, ‘why should I fight for a losing team?’ So I didn’t bother running or hiding, I accepted my fate.” 

Kelmer expressed pride in his infection. 

“I have already killed five humans. As of right now, I am the Most Valuable Zombie,” he said.
Many zombies have begun treating the destruction of the human race as a sport and are awarding one another titles such as "MVZ."

The infected are staying connected and updated about the location of humans by use of text messaging and cell phones — a technological advantage some humans were not expecting, given the undead reputation for brainlessness.   

UnDeadline reporters Branson Smith, Bennett Purser, Mina Sayer, William Christensen, and Elisabeth Gee contributed to this report. 

Undead pack hunters claim human victim as outbreak spreads to Utah

Just hours into an undead outbreak at Utah State University on Tuesday, zombies had begun hunting in packs.

In what might be the first instance of a mass attack of the undead on a human victim in Utah since the last near apocalypse, a student was attacked by a hoard of zombies just outside the Taggart Student Center at Utah State University at 9:31 a.m. today.

The attack is a part of a nationwide zombie outbreak that has reached Logan, a college town in northern Utah about 18 miles south of the Idaho border.  

Officials have yet to release the identity of the victim. Survivors said it was a young woman. 

“I was in a state of shock, I wasn’t sure what had just happened or if I could believe it,” said Dallan Naumann, one of the survivors of the attack. “They came out of nowhere, so we all just sprinted for the nearest building. I turned around and there was the woman. One zombie bit her on the arm. Soon the rest swarmed her.”

Naumann said the student was soon undead herself. Survivors said she left the scene with the same pack of zombies that had taken her mortal life. 

“There was nothing I could do,” Naumann said. “All I could do was pray.”

A citizen militia calling itself Zombie Attack Prevention has assembled to fight what its members have termed "zombie terrorism." 

“It’s absolutely horrifying that these things are spreading everywhere,” ZAP member Casey Williams said. “My heart goes out to the student and her family. I only hope we can help prevent any other attacks from happening.”

Williams is advising fellow humans to stay indoors. Those who must venture outside should be ready to run, he said. Williams also advised humans to travel in groups and remain vigilant.

“We aren’t sure how widespread the outbreak is just yet," Williams said, "so everyone should be on the lookout.”

UnDeadline reporters Sarah Winder, Mandi West, Lindsey Snyder, Taylor Condie and Ron Matheson contributed to this report.

Citizens prepare for zombie outbreak

Society of Professional Journalists president Dave Cullier was among the recent victims of a zombie outbreak in New Orleans. Public safety officials in the Mountain West are now reporting an impending outbreak in the Utah.
Photo by Michael Koretzky.    

On Monday at 9 p.m., citizens gathered in preparation for the zombie apocalypse expected to hit Utah State University the following day. 

Kenneth Fryar-Ludwig of the League of Supernatural Nations, or LSN, addressed a concerned group of citizens who were preparing to fight off the zombie apocalypse in the morning. He instructed the group on the rules of engagement toward zombies and gave the assembled humans some advice:  

“Don’t be stupid,” Fryar-Ludwig said. “Don’t be a douchebag.” 

Footage was shown of a zombie attack on an undisclosed campus which confirmed speculation of an impending outbreak at USU’s campus. 

Human Gen. Jon Kuhl acknowledged the rumors of the zombie outbreak.

“We thought we dealt with them last year,” Kuhl said. “We thought we dealt with them the year before that, but apparently not.”   

Hayley Williams, a concerned student at USU, attended the meeting.

“I am stocking up on ammo and weapons, and I will be taking precautions to minimize exposure,” Williams said. 

Information was provided to the citizens regarding an unidentified Original Zombie, or OZ, that was expected to begin infecting citizens on campus Tuesday. The individual appears to be a human, but sources speculated the OZ would be the cause of the outbreak.

Officer Sutton Hanzalik of the USU Department of Public Safety gave citizens counsel on safety. 

“Don’t involve the innocent civilians,” Hanzalik said.

The LSN advised the militia to only use Nerf gun weapons in the evening in order to avoid innocent casualties. Polyester resin, one of the substances used to create Nerf projectiles, is toxic to zombies, according to the LSN.     

“Follow your orders, keep your ammo ready and never trust anyone,” Kuhl told his troops. 

Following the conclusion of the meeting at 9:47 p.m., citizens were given identification cards for safety and recognition purposes.

UnDeadline reporters Bradley Bair, Marley McClune, Morgan Jacobsen, Eliza Welsh and Jeff Dahdah contributed to this report.