A professor at the University of Southern California (USC) has been detained after an “episode” she suffered on campus led people to believe that there was an active shooter Monday afternoon, police said.
Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Mike Lopez told the Mercury News that a female USC faculty member suffered a “breakdown” in Fertitta Hall and began yelling about an active shooter on campus, causing “everybody to panic.”
Chief John Thomas of USC’s Department of Public Safety said that a professor “falsely told her students there was an active shooter in the building.”
The Los Angeles Police Department and campus police responded taround 12:15 PDT Monday afternoon to search the area.
LAPD officials confirmed within an hour that there was no active shooter on campus and that the shooting never took place.
We can confirm there’s been NO shooting on @USC Campus. Systematic search was conducted in coordination with @USCDPS. No danger to community
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2017
The university ordered everyone to shelter in place as a precaution but soon lifted the order.
Lopez said the professor had been detained for questioning, so officials could determine her mental health status and decide whether charges would be filed in connection with the incident.
The unidentified professor was not booked on a criminal charge, the Los Angeles Times reports.
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