There was a large police presence at UMass Boston Thursday afternoon after an unconfirmed report of a shooting on campus. Police worked to clear all buildings and determined there was no threat to the community.
“Earlier today, our campus experienced reports of shots being fired in a residence hall and other locations,” UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco said.
After a thorough investigation, no evidence of any gunfire was found anywhere on campus, and no injuries were reported.
All classes and activities were canceled Thursday evening out of an abundance of caution. All classes and campus activities will resume Friday morning as scheduled.
UMass Boston sent an alert late Thursday afternoon about a public safety threat in or near the Residence Hall East Building.
Boston police said they received a single 911 call for a report of shots fired. Massachusetts State Police said troopers “responded to UMass Boston to an unconfirmed report of a shooting on campus.”
Police search buildings
Officers ran into buildings with their guns drawn. Some students told WBZ-TV’s Brandon Truitt they were scared and started running out of buildings themselves, with officers at the doors searching their bags as they left.
CBS Boston 
Freshman Lydia Cathcart said she was taking a nap and woke up to the emergency alerts about the reported incident in another residence hall. She said armed officers were banging on their doors telling them to come out with their hands up.
“I was shaking, I started like crying a little bit, because I was just sprinting down the stairs,” said Cathcart.
Students told to run out
“Definitely scary,” said student Shannon Mawn. “We didn’t even get to put on our shoes. We just got told to run out.”
Student Makai Salazar sheltered in the student center. The sophomore says police didn’t identify themselves at first and he wasn’t sure if the orders he heard were coming from officers, or a possible gunman.
“I grabbed a pool stick because I was scared,” Salazar said. “I didn’t know what to do, I wanted to defend myself if anything.”
People were told to stay away from the area. Some nearby businesses ordered their buildings locked down.
“We know how unsettling this incident was, especially for those on campus who experienced the large public safety response and campus-wide sweep, as well as for all of your families, friends, and loved ones,” Suárez-Orozco said. “Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and resilience during this difficult moment.”
The university said counseling is available to any student who needs it.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact UMass Boston police.
Last week, the campus of UMass Lowell was locked down and there was a massive police search for a man who was captured on video with a gun on campus. Police in Lowell later determined it was a teenage boy with an airsoft rifle.
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