GUNFIRE has reportedly broken out at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and school officials are warning that a public threat is on campus.
Terrifying aerial footage showed armed police officers helping running students pour out of a dorm at the Massachusetts school on Thursday afternoon.
WCVBGunfire has been reported at the University of Massachusetts in Boston[/caption]
WCVBPolice were seen helping students to evacuate from a dorm building on campus[/caption]
WCVBStudents were seen holding up their hands as they exited the building[/caption]
At around 3:45pm, the Boston Police Department said they received reports that shots were fired around that same time, according to ABC affiliate WCVB.
Around that same time, the school issued an alert warning students to stay away from the Edward M Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, which is right beside campus.
Minutes later, the school told students that an “incident” was taking place at Residence Hall East Building and that they should avoid the area.
At 4 pm, the university sent an alert saying, “Students in the dorms stay in your rooms, do not answer the doors for anyone unless it is the police,” Fox affiliate WFXT reported.
At around 4:15 pm, the school also urged students to stay away from the Campus Center.
Students have been seen exiting the dorm building with their hands held in the air as cops with massive rifles assess the scene.
UMass Boston has described the incident as a “public safety threat” but hasn’t confirmed there was gunfire or mentioned an active shooting situation.
Massachusetts State Police said at 4:18 that they are still investigating “an unconfirmed report of a shooting on campus.”
“Law enforcement will coordinate with our campus partners to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff,” said the department in a statement.
No injuries have been confirmed.
Local police, Boston cops, and state troopers are all on the scene.
All of Thursday evening’s classes and activities have been canceled.
The terrifying incident comes just hours after a slew of fatal shooting incidents that have sparked concern for public safety across the US.
On Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy gunned down two students at a high school in Colorado before turning the weapon on himself.
And around that same time, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated as he spoke with students at a university event in Utah.
The shooter who fired a fatal bullet at the 31-year-old’s neck is still at large, and an urgent manhunt is ongoing.
The day after Kirk’s death, seven universities were forced into lockdown after receiving “terroristic threats” targeting their campuses.
Schools in Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, New Jersey, Florida, and Georgia were all abruptly shuttered because of the reports.
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