Steve Watson
Panic ensued when a university campus in Rhode Island was placed on
lockdown after a professor overheard a student saying that he was “a
good guy” with a gun, unaware that he was most likely referring to an
ongoing “zombie” game.
Police were called in as the professor immediately ordered his
students take cover inside a classroom, and later to evacuate the room
altogether, following voices he overheard coming from outside, according
to reports.
Kayla Gilmore, a URI Student who was in the class told reporters,
“We were in physiology class and heard somebody pounding on the door
saying that they have a gun and let them in. ‘I have a gun.’ So we all
dove underneath our seats and then our professor told us, ‘everybody
run!’”
When word got around about the incident via twitter and text
messages, students subsequently reported seeing an armed man in a
lecture hall, which was also immediately evacuated, with some students
suffering minor injuries in the stampede to flee the building.
The sighting is thought to have been part of the panic, rather than
any real threat, with police saying that they later recovered a toy
“nerf” gun.
“No evidence was found that an active firearm or active shooter was
there,” Captain James Manni of the Rhode Island State Police said. He
added that it had become apparent that students at the school were
participating in an unofficial “zombie week,” where “humans” shoot
“zombies” with nerf guns.
“It was possibly some type of game that was being played,” Manni
said, adding that police were investigating if it was connected to the
gun scare.
Capt. Frank Castellone, of the Rhode Island State Police said, “At
no time was there ever an active shooter or a handgun on campus. And at
no time was there ever anyone in danger.”
Police said they are still attempting to ascertain who “pounded” on the door and for what purpose, presuming it was a prank.
Following the lockdown, which lasted for two and a half hours, the
university canceled all classes at the Kingston campus, with officials
saying it was a precautionary measure. Classes resumed Friday as
normal.
Some students reacted on Facebook, with one noting:
“This whole ordeal is really annoying, people are now freaking out
over a “threat” which was not carried out. this is proof that gun bans
do not work, if the alleged really did have a firearm it sure as hell
did not stop the individual from bringing it.”
This is now an all too familiar scene on campuses and at schools
across the nation in the wake of increased hysteria following the Sandy
Hook tragedy in December.
Back in January, a discussion between two children about a toy nerf gun caused a lockdown and a massive armed police response at two elementary schools in the Bronx.
The two schools were locked down for over an hour with pupils kept
inside as police with weapons drawn hunted down the deadly non-existent
toy gun.
Earlier in January, a Long Island high school was also placed on lock down for 6 hours in response to a student carrying a toy nerf gun.
We have also seen a long string of incidents
where students have been suspended or expelled for bringing anything
remotely resembling a gun, pointing fingers into the shape of a gun, or
even inadvertently biting food into the shape of a gun.
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Original source:
http://www.infowars.com/university-lockdown-caused-by-zombie-game-nerf-gun/
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