Reports of an active shooter at Hillman Library on the University of Pittsburgh’s Oakland campus just after 11 p.m. Monday night turned out to be false after a heavy police presence was called to the scene.
At 11:20 p.m., Pittsburgh and Pitt police responded to reports of shots fired at the library, which is open 24 hours, but they found no evidence of a shooter. The building was cleared, and students were allowed to return to get their belongings from the building by midnight.
According to a statement, an officer used a gun to get through a locked door at the library, but no other shots were fired.
UPDATE: Regarding inquiries about shots fired or heard during the investigation, a Pittsburgh Police officer utilized a firearm to gain access to a locked door of the Hillman Library to clear the building of any active threat.
There is no evidence of any other shots fired. https://t.co/zUtcJkhXXD
— Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) April 11, 2023
The university sent out an alert after 12:30 a.m. that said campus and Pittsburgh police had responded to multiple locations “pertaining to the reports of a shooter.” The alert said the calls were determined to be a hoax.
Pitt E.N.S. Alert: University of Pittsburgh Police along with the City of Pittsburgh Police responded to multiple locations pertaining to an active shooter on campus. Officers have responded and cleared the locations. It has been determined that the calls were unfounded.…
— University of Pittsburgh (@PittTweet) April 11, 2023
Pitt police sent out an alert at 1:01 a.m. indicating that the calls were “determined to be unfounded and false.”
Pitt E.N.S. Alert: Police responded to multiple locations for reports of an active shooter. Calls were determined to be unfounded and false.
— Pitt Police (@PittPolice) April 11, 2023
Pitt freshman Jullian Lorenzo, 18, a business major from Morristown, N.J., said he awoke about 11:30 p.m. Monday in his 10th floor dorm room in Bruce Hall, diagonally across Forbes from Hillman, “to the sound of sirens nonstop” coming from outside.
Looking downward from his window, he said, “I counted at least 20 cop cars” and officers carrying long guns and other equipment.
It was a chaotic scene, with students and others pouring from the library complex as emergency vehicles clogged the main route through campus looking for a shooter.
“It was pretty scary to see all these kids just full-on sprinting to get away,” Lorenzo said. “I think some still had their stuff inside Hillman.”
Two of his three roommates were already up and looking out their windows, trying to process what they saw.
Lorenzo said that from what he heard himself at the time, and what he saw on social media, some students and parents were furious at the delay in emergency alerts. “They definitely could have done better,” he said.
At the same time, Lorenzo added, even a timely emergency alert would be hard-pressed to keep up with images and messages already steaming onto Instagram, Twitter and other platforms students have on their phones and other devices.
Fortunately, he said, his resident assistant reacted quickly, sending those on his floor texts through Group Me.
“She texted, ‘Stay inside,’” Lorenzo said.
He texted his parents back in New Jersey and asked his roommates if they were videoing what they saw in order to have proof of what had happened.
“Just in case, God forbid. It was shocking,” he said.
Lorenzo said it would not shock him if at some point the real thing comes to his campus. “Unfortunately, that’s the life we live,” he said.
Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported that several students expressed frustration the school was not quicker with its emergency alert.
SCARY SITUATION: What turned out to be a false call about an active shooter on @PittTweet campus caused chaos last night. You can see the aftermath at Hillman Library - glass and other remnants of a shattered door are on the ground outside @WPXIpic.twitter.com/tZYKbaOJAe
— Lauren Talotta (@LaurenTalottaTV) April 11, 2023
A university statement noted Tuesday morning that the Emergency Notification System (ENS) message that went out was “both delayed and flawed,” and that officers were dispatched to a similar call in Mervis Hall.
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“To address the ENS issue, we are currently reviewing the system and retraining our communicators,” the statement said, noting that students should expect to receive an ENS message in “an active killer situation.” All university members are automatically subscribed to receive ENS messages by email, but can also sign up for text messages and calls.
“The information you will receive in an ENS message will be minimal and accurate and designed to give brief instruction on what you can do to keep yourself safe,” the statement said. “Follow-up instruction and further details about an incident when they are available will be posted at emergency.pitt.edu.”
The school said support space with the Campus Crisis Support Team would be open Tuesday for students in the O’Hara Student Center from noon to 2 p.m.
Police are investigating the incident.
The calls came less than two weeks after hoax swatting calls brought a heavy police presence to Oakland for false reports of a shooting at Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic high schools.