Around 11:30 p.m. Friday, UCF students were alerted to seek shelter away from doors and windows following reports that an armed person had entered student-housing complex Tower 1.
Shortly before the Shelter in Place alerts were sent out, the Orange County Sheriff’s office reported a mutual aid call on West Plaza Drive, where Tower 1 is located. Officials immediately blocked off the scene with crime tape and continued to push students as far from the scene as possible.
Within the next few hours, the suspect was found carrying a BB gun. A BB gun is an air gun designed to shoot metallic ball projectiles.
“I felt really scared, at first I didn’t know what the alert was for because it didn’t say. My friend texted me to lock my door and don’t answer it and not to leave the building, that someone reported hearing a gunshot,” Brigitte Black, a UCF student living in Tower 4 said after all was resolved.
“Overall I felt scared, but I was concerned for the residents of Tower 1 and the people outside. I think the UCF Police got the situation under control, but for the moment it was frightening,” Black said.
This is the second time this year that UCF’s campus has had an encounter with an individual carrying a weapon. On January 30th, 2019, Max Bennett Chambers’ was in possession of an illegally modified weapon. It was an AR-15 along with an illegal bump stock, concerns were raised because of his disregard for firearms laws.
Around midnight, there was a reported structural fire in the Nike community. UCF Police tweeted “This is related to a cooking mishap. There is no fire. There is no threat to that area.”
Students were concerned with what chaos was ensuing on campus at such a late hour and expressed their desire for more descriptive announcements. UCFPD addressed the vagueness of the alerts in a statement via Twitter.
If you witness or experience anything concerning contact UCFPD through CrimeLine (1-800-423-TIPS), via 911, or call 407-823-5555 for a non-emergency.