Truemors
UPDATE 6: I'm off campus now. According to a friend of mine who spoke with a reporter during the incident, the police never made use of their bomb sniffing dogs, thus indicating that it likely wasn't a bomb. Furthermore, HASMAT wasn't on site - so it wasn't a chemical spill.
According to a friend of mine who was in the office with me, the SWAT team was outside the BioSci building at least 15 mins before we received the lockdown notice in our emails (grad students and faculty, that is). Another friend of mine atempted to enter the building during the lockdown, only to be denied access. When asked why, she was told they were painting inside.
Another friend on the third floor had swat teams in their room, guns drawn (apparently..)
MSM correspdonents attempted to interview me as I left the building's main entrance, asking me ridiculous questions such as, "So how did you feel while you were in there? Were you scared, or was it like a fire drill?" I promptly shunned them away and kept walking.
Whether the assailant had a gun is unknown, despite what I was told by witnesses earlier.
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UPDATE 5: They are evacuating the building. No one is allowed back in once they leave.
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UPDATE 4: UBC Bulletin
Wed. Jan. 30, 3:23 pm
As announced previously,
there has been a police incident at the Bio Sciences Building, which
remains locked down. All classes in the Bio Sciences Building have now
been cancelled for the balance of the day.
With respect to the rest of the Point Grey campus, normal activities may now resume. We thank you for your cooperation.
Apparently the incident is over (see comment below), but we have not been let out of our offices or notified of anything
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UPDATE 3: A local radio station has picked up on the incident here.
Anyone with plans to travel to UBC today is asked to avoid the area of the Biological Science Building.
Police have cordoned off the area surrounding the building and no one will be allowed to enter or exit the building until the threat is neutralized.
RCMP have increased police presence throughout the campus.
Students are asked to be vigilant, be aware of your surroundings and contact police if you notice anything suspicious.
Students in my office are currently playing pictionary...team 2 is winning.
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UPDATE 2: Witnesses outside have called me (inside) with the folowing information: emergency response team is present, a swat team with complete tactical gear has entered the building (with fully automatic assault rifles), assailiant might have a gun.
Fully geared swat team members are checking every room in the building, according to students locked in the basement.
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Vancouver - The biological sciences building is under lockdown as of ~30 minutes ago (1:59pm). Police officers have surrounded the building, and are at every exit. Yellow tape has been stretched across the doors. A helicopter can be heard overheard, circling the building.
According to an email released to faculty and gradute students working in the building, a suicidal student has been displaying threatening behaviour.
UPDATE: From the UBC mainpage:
RCMP Advisory
Last Updated: Wed. Jan. 30, 2:27 pm
There has been a police incident at the Bio Sciences Building, which is located at the intersection of Main Mall and University Boulevard at the University of British Columbia.
On the advice of the RCMP, the Bio Sciences Building has been locked down. Building occupants have been instructed to stay where they are, to secure the room in which they are located, and to await further instructions from the RCMP.
No person will be permitted to enter or leave the Bio Sciences Building without RCMP authorization.
Out of an abundance of caution, the RCMP is advising that others on campus stay where they are currently located. All campus occupants should be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious circumstances to the RCMP at 911. Persons who are not on campus are advised to remain away from the campus until further notice.
Further information, as it becomes available, will be posted at http://www.ubc.ca
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