UPDATED: 2:234 p.m. EST — No evidence of an active shooter has been found on the campus of Howard University Tuesday afternoon, NBC Washington reported. The announcement was made more than two hours after news of an active shooter open the campus in Northwest Washington was reported to authorities.
Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said the school was “all clear,” according to Washington Post reporter Keith Alexander.
Original story:
An active shooter was reported on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., early Tuesday afternoon, Fox DC reported. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the reports but was not able to immediately verify the report.
SEE ALSO: ‘It’s Not Murder If They’re Black’: Man Arrested For Making Death Threats Against Howard Students
Still, the school’s Twitter feed cautioned students to “stay in place, shelter in place” while police continue to sweep “all buildings.”
Neither Howard police nor the MPD would confirm where or which buildings were affected by the reported shooting.
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“Shots were fired inside the administration building,” Howard University radiation therapy student Maxwell Telfer told NewsOne. Telfer, a 22-year-old senior from Atlanta, said he sought shelter off-campus after being alerted by the university via email and phone call. The administration building is located at 2400 Sixth Street in Northwest Washington.
However, Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said the reports were a “false alarm,” according to Washington Post reporter Keith Alexander.
The university’s Academic Support Building was reportedly evacuated, though there was no confirmation that’s where the reported shooting took place.
Howard confirmed the reports of a shooter on campus through a text message, another student told NewsOne. The text message read:
“HOWARD UNIVERSITY: Please be safe Bison, we have been informed that there may be an active shooter on campus. We’ll give you all updates as we get them.”
The call came around 12:04 p.m. from the Howard University Police Department, who said it was an “active shooter.” However, nothing had been determined, a MPD spokesperson told NewsOne.
Tuesday’s reported shooting came nearly two weeks after a White man was arrested for making online death threats to Howard students in 2015. At the time, John Edgar Rust, 26, made the threats in two message board posts writing in part, “After all, it’s not murder if they’re Black.”
Washington, D.C., has among the tightest gun laws in the nation. While the MPD does not keep statistics on reported shootings city-wide, there have been more than 4,700 violent crimes committed in D.C. this year. There have been more than 160 total crimes reported in the Howard University area over the past year, including two instances of assault with a gun.
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