Gun scare puts Yale University on lockdown

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Yale University ended a lockdown of its New Haven, Connecticut campus late Monday, November 25 (Tuesday, November 26 in Manila), as local security forces say reports of a “person with a gun” on campus are sketchy.

Yale officials issued a mass alert on Monday, November 25, at 11:37 am (11:37 pm in Manila), ordering everyone on campus to take shelter as they confirmed reports of a “person with a gun” within the university’s grounds.

At 10:17 am Yale warned students, staff, and faculty on its official emergency management website about reports of a gunman who was spotted on campus.

“New Haven Police have received an anonymous call from a phone booth in the 300 block of Columbus Avenue (between Howard Avenue and Hallock Street) reporting a person on the Yale campus with a gun,” the advisory said. 

A shelter-in-place order was issued at 10:50 am. By 11:02 am, reports were confirmed that the “person with a gun” was on campus. 

Reports of person with gun on Central Campus. SHELTER IN PLACE until further notice. http://t.co/GWOeIeUZgu

— Yale University (@Yale) November 25, 2013

Confirmed report of a person w/ gun on/near Old Campus. SHELTER IN PLACE. http://t.co/GWOeIeUZgu

— Yale University (@Yale) November 25, 2013

According to local news, some streets around Yale have been closed and no one has reported hearing any shots being fired.

The lockdown was lifted around 4:40 pm local time. Authorities were still scouring the campus when it was lifted. New Haven police are now tracing who made the call, and are now beginning to doubt the accuracy of the initial report, the Hartford Courant reported.

The university recess for the Thanksgiving holiday began over the weekend.

Yale has more than 14,000 students and a teaching staff of more than 9,000. It was established in the early 18th century and is one of the top universities in the US prestigious Ivy League. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com