LSUPD reported around 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon that an armed intruder was spotted inside Coates Hall. After investigations that continued through Wednesday, the University concluded that the intruder was an off-duty law enforcement officer dressed in plain clothes with a visible gun on his belt.
Human Resource Development instructor Edward Gibbons was in Coates Hall at the time of the incident. A teaching assistant told him a custodian saw someone with a pistol inside the building. Gibbons and other staff in the building locked the doors and started watching the news for updates on the situation.
Coates Hall was evacuated after the initial report and students in Free Speech Alley were sent to the Student Union Theater. However, students playing kickball on the Parade Ground remained outside for the duration of the incident.
Through an emergency text, LSU advised students to “run, hide, or fight” in response to the threat.
This announcement was met with some confusion on Twitter, as many people were unsure about the University’s instructions to “fight.” Others responded by arguing that the University directly quoted the Department of Homeland Security’s policy on active shooters.
Mass communication freshman Bethany Bissell felt confused and nervous when the text was sent out.
“I had never heard [‘run, hide, fight’] before,” Bissell said. “My high school had an active shooter scare and that wasn’t the protocol we had been given at all.”
The armed intruder incident occurred in the middle of welcome week and orientation events.
Police locked down the building and assessed the situation room by room, according to LSU Media Relations director Ernie Ballard. Ballard said there were no shots fired and no injuries reported.
Almost two hours after the incident was first reported, the University announced that campus activities could return to normal, but students were to stay in shelter if they were near the Quad.
It was later reported that LSUPD had investigated the report of the incident and determined there was no threat. At around 5 p.m., the campus returned to normal operations.
The off-duty officer seen with a gun was from the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, according to a press release from State Attorney General Jeff Landry. The officer was on campus as part of a welcome week event meant to educate students about safety.
In an article following the incident, The Advocate reported that university officials plan to review procedures that involve having officers on campus for events. The University says it encourages off-campus officers to check in with LSUPD to be escorted without any confusion or alarm.
University President F. King Alexander wrote that the University is thankful that someone reported the intruder in a letter addressed to students, faculty and staff.
“I can’t emphasize how important it is to err on the side of caution,” Alexander said. “We would rather have a false alarm than not be aware of a potential issue.”
Though the incident proved no threat, the University was pleased with how the situation was handled.
