Virginia Tech, site of a 2007 mass shooting, issued a campus lockdown Thursday after a man with a gun was reportedly spotted on campus.
NBC affiliate WSLS confirmed that the campus siren system had been activated and all people on campus had been asked to remain indoors.
The university issued an alert on its website at 9:37 a.m. Thursday telling students and employees to stay inside and secure doors.
A subsequent crime alert said three children attending a camp on campus reported seeing a white man who appeared to have a gun covered with a cloth.
"Officers responded immediately to the area but found no one matching the description," the crime alert said.
"We have been told to stay put until we get more information,'' Virginia Tech communications officer Lynn Davis told CNN.
Police searching for man
The alert said the gunman was reported near Dietrick Hall, a three-story dining facility. The dining hall is steps away from the dorm where the first shootings took place in 2007, when a student gunman killed 32 people and then himself.
The man was described as a white male, standing 6-feet tall, wearing a blue-and-white shirt and gray shorts. He was described as clean shaven, according to the university website.
Police from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg and Christiansburg are searching for the man, as well as Montgomery County sheriff's deputies.
According to NBC's Pete Williams, federal officials are waiting to hear if they're needed on campus as they say there's been no verification that there was actually a gun on campus.
NBC affiliate WSLS confirmed that the campus siren system had been activated and all people on campus had been asked to remain indoors.
The university issued an alert on its website at 9:37 a.m. Thursday telling students and employees to stay inside and secure doors.
A subsequent crime alert said three children attending a camp on campus reported seeing a white man who appeared to have a gun covered with a cloth.
"Officers responded immediately to the area but found no one matching the description," the crime alert said.
"We have been told to stay put until we get more information,'' Virginia Tech communications officer Lynn Davis told CNN.
Police searching for man
The alert said the gunman was reported near Dietrick Hall, a three-story dining facility. The dining hall is steps away from the dorm where the first shootings took place in 2007, when a student gunman killed 32 people and then himself.
The man was described as a white male, standing 6-feet tall, wearing a blue-and-white shirt and gray shorts. He was described as clean shaven, according to the university website.
Police from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg and Christiansburg are searching for the man, as well as Montgomery County sheriff's deputies.
According to NBC's Pete Williams, federal officials are waiting to hear if they're needed on campus as they say there's been no verification that there was actually a gun on campus.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech was locked down Thursday when three children attending a summer camp said they saw a man holding what looked like a gun, an unsettling report on the campus where a 2007 massacre left 33 people dead.
The university issued an alert on its website at 9:37 a.m. Thursday telling students and employees to stay inside and secure doors.
The children said they saw the man walking fast toward the volleyball courts, carrying what might have been a handgun covered by some type of cloth. Police swarmed the area but said they could not find a gunman matching their description.
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Maybe a false alarm??? Wonder if it was just a sports equipment bag the guy was using to set up volleyball or badminton courts, or something like that.
The university issued an alert on its website at 9:37 a.m. Thursday telling students and employees to stay inside and secure doors.
The children said they saw the man walking fast toward the volleyball courts, carrying what might have been a handgun covered by some type of cloth. Police swarmed the area but said they could not find a gunman matching their description.
-----------------------------------------
Maybe a false alarm??? Wonder if it was just a sports equipment bag the guy was using to set up volleyball or badminton courts, or something like that.
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27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=44019061&width=420&height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc6a4fb1" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=44019061&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p>Three kids who saw somebody carrying something they thought maybe could possibly be a gun. They didn't even see a gun. Poles for a volleyball or badminton court could easily look similar, or portable lawn chairs. It's amazing how somebody who thinks maybe they saw something but is most likely nothing can cause massive panic.
yeah i think it could be some type of racket or something with a cloth over it, but you do have to respect that the VT students are paranoid since this has happened before...
If this happened at another college i dont think they would have the entire campus on lockdown, i think the students just were paranoid (i hope thats the case)
If this happened at another college i dont think they would have the entire campus on lockdown, i think the students just were paranoid (i hope thats the case)
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011
3:22 p.m. Update
The following is a statement from Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum that was read at the press briefing given at 3:15 p.m. today
As you know, we received a report this morning from three young people, we think about 14 years old, who reported seeing a person with a weapon in the vicinity of Deitrick Dining Hall or New Residence Hall East. They gave a good description upon being interviewed.
Based on the information provided and lacking further information, we couldn’t rule out that this wasn’t credible. Therefore, we felt like there was no other option than to issue a campus alert and ask our people to remain secured indoors.
Let me be more specific. At 9:09 a.m. three juveniles attending a camp at the university reported seeing a white male, 6 feet tall, with light brown hair outside of New Residence Hall East holding what may have been a handgun. They say the weapon was covered by a cloth or covering of some sort. He was walking fast in the direction of the volleyball courts. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt (stripes were vertical), gray shorts and brown sandals. The subject had no facial hair or glasses.
Officers responded immediately to the area but found no one matching the description. Police have encountered no other witnesses reporting this individual or anything suspicious. Law enforcement officers from VTPD, Blacksburg PD, Christiansburg PD, Virginia State Police, and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are patrolling the campus, continuing to look for the subject.
We have kept the campus on alert since then through an abundance of caution. We believe that this was a most prudent course of action.
Since the time of the initial call (@9am this morning) there have been no on-going threats known or discovered. We have received NO other reports of a person with a gun or any other threatening behaviors. We have interviewed several persons similar in description to that provided by witnesses this morning. None of those subjects are the person described by the witnesses.
2:41 p.m. Update
The campus alert is lifted. There will continue to be a large police presence on campus today. Police have not received nor discovered additional information about a person possibly carrying a weapon beyond that reported this morning. The university community may resume normal campus activity. Only Blacksburg campus classes have been cancelled today.
The university will hold a press briefing at 3:15 p.m. in front of Burruss Hall.
While the alert has been lifted, as always, we suggest that people remain vigilant and report suspicious campus activity to Virginia Tech Police at 911 or 231-6411.
3:22 p.m. Update
The following is a statement from Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum that was read at the press briefing given at 3:15 p.m. today
As you know, we received a report this morning from three young people, we think about 14 years old, who reported seeing a person with a weapon in the vicinity of Deitrick Dining Hall or New Residence Hall East. They gave a good description upon being interviewed.
Based on the information provided and lacking further information, we couldn’t rule out that this wasn’t credible. Therefore, we felt like there was no other option than to issue a campus alert and ask our people to remain secured indoors.
Let me be more specific. At 9:09 a.m. three juveniles attending a camp at the university reported seeing a white male, 6 feet tall, with light brown hair outside of New Residence Hall East holding what may have been a handgun. They say the weapon was covered by a cloth or covering of some sort. He was walking fast in the direction of the volleyball courts. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt (stripes were vertical), gray shorts and brown sandals. The subject had no facial hair or glasses.
Officers responded immediately to the area but found no one matching the description. Police have encountered no other witnesses reporting this individual or anything suspicious. Law enforcement officers from VTPD, Blacksburg PD, Christiansburg PD, Virginia State Police, and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are patrolling the campus, continuing to look for the subject.
We have kept the campus on alert since then through an abundance of caution. We believe that this was a most prudent course of action.
Since the time of the initial call (@9am this morning) there have been no on-going threats known or discovered. We have received NO other reports of a person with a gun or any other threatening behaviors. We have interviewed several persons similar in description to that provided by witnesses this morning. None of those subjects are the person described by the witnesses.
2:41 p.m. Update
The campus alert is lifted. There will continue to be a large police presence on campus today. Police have not received nor discovered additional information about a person possibly carrying a weapon beyond that reported this morning. The university community may resume normal campus activity. Only Blacksburg campus classes have been cancelled today.
The university will hold a press briefing at 3:15 p.m. in front of Burruss Hall.
While the alert has been lifted, as always, we suggest that people remain vigilant and report suspicious campus activity to Virginia Tech Police at 911 or 231-6411.
