The University of Maryland Police was notified of a false active shooter report near McKeldin Library at 4:17 a.m. Tuesday.
The university officer patrolling McKeldin Mall at the time did not report seeing or hearing anything suspicious, according to a university campuswide alert sent Tuesday afternoon. This university’s gun-shot detection technology system was not triggered at the time of the threat.
The campus alert said this call was determined to be a false report and “there was no threat to our community.” Tuesday’s false report happened on the university’s first day of classes.
The report comes after at least a dozen higher education institutions across the U.S. have been hit by false active shooter reports over the past few weeks, the Associated Press reported last Tuesday.
The hoax calls have caused some universities to issue alert texts, sending community members scrambling for safety, the Associated Press reported. Some included gunshot sounds in the background.
Other universities impacted by the false reports include the University of Arkansas, Iowa State and Kansas State, according to the Associated Press.
“We take these matters very seriously,” this university’s alert read. It also provided safety and behavioral resources. “Whenever we get a call that impacts our campus community, we take into account the totality of the circumstances and respond accordingly.”
