Law enforcement officials concluded there was no active threat at the University of Arkansas campus on Monday after investigating multiple reports of a possible shooter that prompted a campus-wide lockdown and class cancellations.
“As of now, there are no confirmed gunshots, no confirmed injuries, no known suspects, and no arrests have been made,” the Fayetteville Police Department said. “We are following up on every call and investigating every lead.”
The University of Arkansas Police Department initially issued emergency notifications instructing students and faculty to avoid the Mullins Library area due to reports of an active shooter. Campus officials implemented “avoid, deny, defend” protocols as a precautionary measure.
After conducting thorough investigations into the multiple reports, university police determined no active threats existed on campus. The safety protocols were then lifted, though law enforcement continued patrolling the campus.
Classes were cancelled for the remainder of Monday but will resume on Tuesday, according to university officials. Students were given the option to leave campus if they chose, while housing facilities and most dining services remained open. Razorback Transit continued running its regular routes throughout the incident.
State and federal officials monitored the developing situation as it unfolded.
“We are in touch with school administrators and are monitoring the situation,” Sanders said.
The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to determine the source of the initial reports.
The University of Arkansas incident followed multiple false reports of active shooters at several universities in the last few days.
A similar hoax happened twice at Villanova University in Pennsylvania within four days, with one hoax on Thursday and another on Sunday.
Following the first incident, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Villanova’s president, confirmed the threat was fabricated, stating “Mercifully, no one was injured and we now know that it was a cruel hoax—there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms on campus”.
Both hoaxes triggered a large law enforcement response.
Campus officials initially advised students to shelter in place and issued warnings to avoid certain areas. The first disruption affected approximately 6,700 undergraduate and 3,100 graduate students.
The two Villanova incidents remain under investigation by federal and local authorities.
Also on Sunday, the University of South Carolina gave the all-clear after issuing an alert about a possible active shooter. USC students were told to shelter in place while police investigated an unconfirmed report of an active shooter near the library. Officials later said there was no evidence of a shooter, and there were no reports of any shots being fired.
Last Thursday, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga locked down its campus, telling students: “Possible active shooter in the University Center or Library. Run. Hide. Fight. More info forthcoming.” The lockdown was lifted after multiple law enforcement agencies responded. School officials said there was no evidence of any threat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
