There was a bizarre story out of the University of Southern California that flew under the radar Monday in the shadow of Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, but the Daily Trojan and others have put the pieces together.
There was an active shooter scare that sent the campus into lockdown for about an hour Monday, but students say it was triggered by a business instructor who made a false claim of gunshots.
This was the scene on campus Monday, just hours after the horrific shooting in Las Vegas:
What is going on in the world. #BreakingNews– Reports of shots fired at @USC. LAPD on scene investigating.
— JacquelineSarkissian (@JSarkissianFOX7) October 2, 2017
BREAKING: @USC tells students to shelter in place as police investigate possible shooting on campus. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/iZ8Mm1al5L
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) October 2, 2017
#LAPD responding to reports of a shooting on the @USC Campus. No confirmation at this point. Search in progress. More info as available
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017
LAPD says no active shooter @USC but the school is still being cleared. Students should continue to shelter in place until all clear given pic.twitter.com/lK5Gp3szp8
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) October 2, 2017
We can confirm there’s been NO shooting on @USC Campus. Systematic search was conducted in coordination with @USCDPS. No danger to community
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017
False alarms happen … but this usually doesn’t:
Sources @USC are saying a professor made students call to report shots fired. @LAPDHQ confirms no active shooter & professor is arrested. pic.twitter.com/zWNQXvaJWu
— JacquelineSarkissian (@JSarkissianFOX7) October 2, 2017
What?
This seems to be more of a case of a mental breakdown then anyone playing a joke. https://t.co/0TUNoVkSjp
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) October 2, 2017
.@USCDPS confirms that a detention was made on-scene for the mental health evaluation of an adjunct professor. No other info released.
— JacquelineSarkissian (@JSarkissianFOX7) October 2, 2017
“It was reported a faculty member during class falsely told her students there was an active shooter in the building. The faculty member has been detained by the LAPD,” @USCDPS Chief John Thomas said in an email to the Daily Trojan.
— Daily Trojan (@dailytrojan) October 2, 2017
The Daily Trojan spoke to students who said that a faculty member falsely told them there was an active shooter in the building.
UPDATE: Students said the faculty member was distraught over Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas. https://t.co/VbgRgw9Isz pic.twitter.com/J0lukFgZD0
— Daily Trojan (@dailytrojan) October 3, 2017
Brandon Kaufman, a freshman majoring in business administration … said when he arrived to class, his instructor seemed distraught and upset over Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas.
About five minutes into class, according to Kaufman, the instructor said she heard gunshots and ordered the students in the class to barricade the door.
“Eventually she ran out of the room and there was a police officer that came at one point and she was like, ‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot,’” Kaufman said. “She eventually left the room running out, [saying] ‘help, help, help.’”
…
Helicopters circled around the building, while SWAT was on scene to investigate.
#UPDATE: The faculty member detained after yesterday’s false reports of gunfire is not currently in police custody, LAPD confirmed. She was sent to the hospital to receive a mental health evaluation.
— Daily Trojan (@dailytrojan) October 4, 2017
.@USCDPS said mental health evaluations typically last 72 hours, but could not confirm how long she will be held
— Daily Trojan (@dailytrojan) October 4, 2017
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