University of Arkansas chancellor gives additional details on active shooter hoax

Video: ‘I was jumping over tables, trying to get to a safe place,’ University of Arkansas students react after active shooter hoax

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas Chancellor Charles F. Robinson updated students, faculty and staff on the active shooter hoax at the Fayetteville campus that took place on Monday.

The chancellor’s Tuesday email confirmed that nobody was injured and there was no active shooter on the campus.

Robinson stated the incident began with the 12:24 p.m. call to the university’s police departments via 911 that a shooter was active at the Mullins Library. The call included the sound of gunfire, he stated.

A RazALERT was immediately sent out, the chancellor said.

He continued that over the next two hours, university police received more than 300 additional calls and nearly 40 reports to 911 about alleged incidents or threats across the UA campus. This led to a second report at 1:29 p.m., confirming that police were responding at multiple sites.

Police responded to each call, searched every building floor named by callers “until determining there was no credible evidence of any active threats or incidents,” Robinson stated.

A 2:45 p.m. all-clear alert followed this, Robinson stated. The remainder of Monday’s classes were cancelled, while essential campus services, including mental health support, remained available.

Robinson continued that mental health services remain available to students, faculty and staff.

He also recommended that members of the UA community download the SafeZone app to contact university police and ensure their RazALERT information is up-to-date.

The chancellor thanks the governor, attorney general and elected officials for their support.

“We will use these events to learn how to make our campus safer in the future,” the email concluded.