The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was placed under lockdown on August 21 due to active shooter reports, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Students received an alert from the university shortly after 1 PM telling them about a possible active shooter in the University Center or library.
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Active Shooter Reports At University Of Tennessee Chattanooga Cause Campus Lockdown
The alert urged students to “Run. Hide. Fight.” On social media, the university posted a more detailed alert. “All individuals on the UTC campus should remain on lockdown,” it read.
“Do not move unless directed by law enforcement. Campus facilities are currently being searched by police.”
In a Facebook post, the Chattanooga Police Department confirmed it was working with the UTC Police Department to confirm “Shots Fired” reports. It also urged anyone off-campus to avoid the UTC Campus until further notice.
In an updated post at 1:40 PM, the university told students that the authorities had completed their campus search. “No threat has been identified at this time,” it said.
13 minutes later, they gave the UTC campus the all-clear. “The lockdown has been lifted. Law enforcement found no evidence of a threat,” it continued.
The university then announced it would cancel all classes and activities until August 22 at 8:00 AM. They also told all students and non-essential employees that they could leave campus for the day.
No Threats Found
Officials reportedly found no gunshot victims on campus. Nor did they find any potential threat. Perhaps people made reports of a possible shooting, but were wrong. The alleged shooter may have also fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
FBI Nashville also made a statement on social media concerning the active shooter reports. “The FBI Nashville Field Office is aware of the current situation at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga,” it said. “Our agents are responding and supporting our local law enforcement partners.”
Other than the school campus, the City of Chattanooga government buildings were in lockdown. They have since lifted the lockdown of their government buildings.
We can only hope that an investigation will happen and we’ll find out more details. It’s unknown who made these reports and if anyone saw a shooting happen with their own eyes. This is a very recent incident, so we don’t have all the details just yet.