A juvenile carrying a very realistic-looking replica weapon is to blame for the shelter-in-place order on UMass Lowell’s campus that lasted for almost three hours on Wednesday, police said Thursday.
Students, faculty, and staff barricaded doors, hid in closets, and hunkered down with the lights off for more than two hours after receiving notifications on their phones alerting them of an individual with a gun behind the Riverview Suites dormitory shortly before 2:30 p.m.
Police said Thursday that they have identified the juvenile male seen on video with the alleged long gun and that the weapon was actually an airsoft replica weapon.
Video shared with Boston 25 News showed the suspect running down Marginal Street toward the Riverview Suites with what appeared to be a firearm in his hand.
“The safety of this city, and its residents and visitors, is our top priority,” said Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon, “and the extensive response of personnel and assets by this department and our law enforcement partners was a testament to that commitment. I want to thank all our officers and partners for their brave response as well as our investigators for their diligent investigative work that brought closure to this incident. I would especially like to thank the residents of the affected neighborhood for their cooperation and understanding while this incident unfolded. While the reported firearm in this case was ultimately determined to be an airsoft gun, our community can be certain that, as in this case, the Lowell Police Department will always utilize all available resources until the safety of all involved is assured.”
Classes resumed on campus on Thursday morning.
Police did not state whether the juvenile would face charges.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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