Central Connecticut State University in New Britain states that a suspect is in custody, and the school has given an "all clear" to people on campus following a three-hour lockdown Monday afternoon. The school's official campus website earlier told students and personnel to “get inside buildings and stay in place.”
While at Central, WNPR's Patrick Skahill said students were told that the focus of the police investigation was James Hall, a dormitory on campus. The school confirmed that in a tweet just after 1:30 pm on Monday.
Eyewitnesses said that campus security told students to stay in place at the student center at around noon. In a tweet just after 2:00 pm on Monday, CCSU said "police are looking for a man who reportedly was carrying a gun."
Skahill spoke with WNPR's Ray Hardman just after 2:00 pm on Monday. "The police presence is very strong here right now," Skahill said, with police support coming from nearby towns such as Newington and West Hartford. Listen below.
At 2:30 pm, Hardman spoke with Mark Warren McLaughlin, a spokesman for CCSU. Listen below.
Earlier, around 12:30 pm, McLaughlin said, "We're in the middle of a campus emergency and, at the moment, all I can say is that an emergency has been declared. We have told the entire campus to seek shelter, to shelter in place. We don't have any further information at this time."
CCSU spokesman says there's been "no word of an active shooter." Confirms shelter in place order for campus. @CCSU
— Jeff Cohen (@jeffcohenwnpr) November 4, 2013
Asked whether the incident involved a shooter, McLaughlin said this: "There has been no word of an active shooter."
Shortly after noon on Monday, the CCSU website was carrying an alert message that replaced its entire website. The image was updated over the course of a few hours, until shortly before 3:00 pm, when the site was returned to normal. McLaughlin told WNPR that the school's policy is to "take down the whole website" for an emergency message. To the best of his knowledge, McLaughlin said, the website for CCSU has not been hacked.
Some tweets from the school notified the public about the emergency:
Campus emergency. Seek shelter. Lock doors, close windows. We will communicate when we have more info.This is not a drill. #ccsu
— CCSU (Central) (@CCSU) November 4, 2013
#CCSU police is on the scene. Please stay indoors and away from windows.
— CCSU (Central) (@CCSU) November 4, 2013
Here are a few more tweets from the scene, as it unfolded:
Pic from the scene at #CCSU. #wfsb pic.twitter.com/z0GmORFf0b
— Rob Polansky (@rpolanskyWFSB) November 4, 2013
"We on lockdown #ccsu" http://t.co/S1q5btJHbI
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) November 4, 2013
@WFSBnews I'm thanks news but it's a little worse than that! There's cops surrounding my building. pic.twitter.com/5fXnOv07MQ
— ❁ॐ (@tranquildreamr) November 4, 2013
Armed SWAT members arrive on the campus of #CCSU. From @courantphotogs pic.twitter.com/LrH3ee9acb
— Mike Piskorski (@mpiskorskimedia) November 4, 2013
Members of the Newington Police department have arrived. @CourantPhotogs #ccsu pic.twitter.com/bhKU83oGiJ
— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 4, 2013
We are still on lock down. Police remain on the scene and are conducting a search in the James Hall area. #ccsu stay put.
— CCSU (Central) (@CCSU) November 4, 2013
What shelter in place looks like at #CCSU pic.twitter.com/rNExxh17VC
— linda lambeck (@lclambeck) November 4, 2013
Aerials of the huge police presence at #CCSU. pic.twitter.com/1lqpo8n5D0
— Brad Tatum (@BradTatum) November 4, 2013
A tweet from Olivia Maffucci @OliviaMaff indicated an arrest had been made:
They got him!!!!!! #ccsu pic.twitter.com/ID3RVT6H8g
— Olivia Maffucci (@OliviaMaff) November 4, 2013
Life returns to normal on the #CCSU campus.From @courantphotogs pic.twitter.com/2DdUJbDecm
— Mike Piskorski (@mpiskorskimedia) November 4, 2013
