Keep phrases simple

On Sept. 18, when two potentially armed suspects were on the loose in downtown Madison, campus police issued a warning to students and faculty to “shelter in place.”

On Oct. 3, when a woman led police and Secret Service in a car chase around the U.S. Capitol, authorities warned people in buildings nearby to “shelter in place.”

In journalism, we’re taught to keep things simple. So why not just say, “stay inside” instead of the oddly phrased “shelter in place”?