Community Message from the University Police – Student Services

On the night of Sunday, November 21, the University Police Department received a report of suspicious persons in and around the Feliciano Business School, carrying a large briefcase. The case remained in the building when the suspected suspect left the building, leaving campus. The campus community was notified through our RAVE text alert system that a suspicious persons report was made to the UPD and that there was no known emergency.

The UPD immediately investigated the area and inside the building, room by room. Rumors quickly began to spread on social media that there was a possible sighting of a weapon on campus. No weapons or suspicious individuals were found. The campus community was again notified through RAVE that there was no emergency on campus and that the suspected suspects had left the campus two hours earlier.

Further investigation by the UPD found that a student had come to campus to return the audiovisual equipment and tripod to a room at the Feliciano Business School. Access codes to the doors confirmed this activity. UPD also contacted the student directly to confirm that they had entered the room and returned the equipment. It is believed that the person who reported the suspicious activity could have thought that the tripod case could have contained a weapon. But at no time was a weapon seen or present on campus and by the time the witness made the report, the alleged suspect had already left the campus.

UPD encourages all members of the campus community to report any suspicious activity. Additionally, all members of the campus community should refer to emergency notifications for confirmed details. If this had been a real emergency, the University would have immediately communicated the security protocols to follow.