UPDATE: Bucknell: Active shooter scare was hoax
Mar. 29—LEWISBURG — A report of an active shooter and an ensuing lockdown Friday night at Bucknell University was the result of hoax, according to school officials.
University Director of Media Relations Mike Ferlazzo said Pennsylvania state police investigated and ruled the incident a hoax.
"The call was determined to be a hoax coordinated out of Virginia, according to an investigation by state police," Ferlazzo said.
The campus went on lockdown at 6:37 p.m., according to campus Police Chief Anthony Morgan.
An alert was sent out to students and faculty reporting an active shooter and the university posted an alert on its Facebook page.
"Bucknell Public Safety is responding to reports of an active shooter. Campus is on lockdown. All students, employees and visitors are instructed to shelter in place until further notice," the Facebook alert said.
Students who were unable to get on campus during the incident were instructed they could shelter at a site off-campus in Lewisburg.
About 45 minutes after the initial alert, the university sent out a campus-wide alert saying the public safety office determined the emergency was over and the lockdown had been lifted.
The all-clear was given at 7:31 p.m. and Morgan reported there was no imminent danger or threat to the community.
Local and state police joined campus safety in the investigation, according to public 911 radio reports.
In February 2019, Line Mountain High School and Middle School were the victims of a similar incident when an unidentified person threatened a shooting at the school before 3 p.m. The district and neighboring districts, Shikellamy, Shamokin and Mount Carmel also locked down. State police determined it was a swatting incident generated in Indiana.
Swatting is a form of harassment where an anonymous threat is made, like a shooting or threat of a bomb, and law enforcement responds en masse unsuspected. Such incidents tax local resources.
