The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) community was recently shaken by reports of alleged gun threats, prompting a shelter-in-place order.
The matter initially unfolded early Thursday morning. An announcement was sent out to the UCB community at around 9:30 a.m., though it merely gave the vague command to “shelter in place” without mentioning the threats of gun violence.
So all of @UCBerkeley got a “hey everyone, shelter in place inside away from doors and windows across the whole campus” email, with no further detail. Whee…
— Nicholas Weaver (@ncweaver) April 21, 2022
UC Berkeley WarnMe: An Emergency has occurred near Campus-wide. Please go inside and move away from doors and windows. 04-21-202209:30:24
Police activity on campus. Shelter in place and stay tuned to WarnMe for updates.Emergency personnel are respo https://t.co/rdmznZKpTA
— UC Police, Berkeley (@UCPD_Cal) April 21, 2022
UCB Police later provided further context on the matter through Twitter.
“There is NOT an active shooter on campus. Police are actively looking for a person who may want to harm specific individuals. Please continue to shelter in place at this time,” authorities wrote.
An all-clear was eventually issued at 2 p.m., and the campus was cleared to resume normal operations the very next day.
“This was an unsettling day for our community. While we are fortunate that no one was injured in this incident, we recognize the alarm and the anxiety this caused,” Chancellor Carol Christ said in an announcement. “We recognize that the incident was especially trying for those in buildings where there was police activity.”
In-person classes, campus operations will resume Fridayhttps://t.co/5JQDWePrqX
— UC Berkeley (@UCBerkeley) April 22, 2022
The suspect in the matter, who has not been formally identified, is a UCB student who had been placed on interim suspension. The student allegedly threatened faculty at the Center for Educational Equity and Excellence.
It’s also worth noting the alleged “credible threat” was conveyed via email.
After the student was apprehended, they were taken in for psychiatric evaluation, though they’re “still the subject of an arrest warrant.”
In addition to the UCB shelter-in-place order, the matter also led to various schools within the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) going into “soft lockdown” as a precaution.
“Staff have been alerted and administrators will be vigilant throughout the day,” BUSD Superintendent Brent Stephens said.
Trish McDermott, a BUSD spokesperson, also revealed that a class of second graders were on a field trip at UCB during the lockdown.
“They are safe and fine,” she noted. “We’ve reached out to parents and caregivers.”
