University Orders Lockdown After ‘Costumed Actors’ Reported as Intruders

On Febuary 14, the Arkansas State University campus was placed on lockdown after “costumed actors” in a student film project were reported as “intruders.”

Arkansas State University tweeted lockdown orders at 1:52 pm CST, saying, “Two males with weapons reported near the Student Union. Lockdown immediately until further notice.”

Two males with weapons reported near the Student Union. Lockdown immediately until further notice.

— Arkansas State (@ArkansasState) February 14, 2016

Twenty-five minutes later, the school tweeted an update:

Report: The possible three males all wearing black were last seen walking north near Dean St.

— Arkansas State (@ArkansasState) February 14, 2016

Approximately an hour later, Arkansas State University tweeted, “The campus lockdown has been lifted. A-State will resume normal operations.”

The campus lockdown has been lifted. A-State will resume normal operations.

— Arkansas State (@ArkansasState) February 14, 2016

Shortly after the lockdown was lifted, Arkansas State University posted a statement to Facebook explaining why the lockdown was ordered:

Numerous first responders from the University Police Department, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police and other law enforcement agencies worked swiftly and cooperatively this afternoon in response to what eventually turned out to be a false alarm on the campus.

Apparently students were filming a video project near the Union, and costumed actors were reported as possible campus intruders. These students have been located and interviewed by University Police Officers. As a result, it has been confirmed that there was no gunman on campus.

Once things returned to normal, Arkansas State University spokesman Bill Smith told the Associated Press the school “encourages people, if they see something out of the ordinary, to say something.” At the same time, he said students who “are going to be doing something that might be construed as being out of the ordinary … [should] probably … check in with the university administration to let” them know what is going on.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.