Ferrum College, VA in Lockdown After Gunman Spotted

"To the campus community:



The Ferrum College campus community continues to be secured while they
search for a person seen with a weapon on their campus this morning.
During the course of their investigation, it was reported that a person
was 'on his way to Virginia Tech.' This caused some concern and the
Virginia State Police contacted Virginia Tech.



Subsequently, this person has been found, he is not on his way to
Virginia Tech, is not considered a threat, and indeed, had legitimate
business here. He is not the person seen with the weapon this morning
and has no connection with the Ferrum incident. Authorities at Ferrum
continue to search for the person in question.



Obviously campus communities across the nation are on edge. We provide
this information simply to keep you apprised and avert rumors should
you hear information to this effect.

Many students woke
up to find the campus surrounded by law enforcement authorities this
morning, after a housekeeper in Bassett Hall reportedly encountered a
man with a handgun around 7:30 a.m. According to Franklin County
Sheriff Euell Hunt, the man asked the housekeeper not to say anything.
The housekeeper immediately called 911, Hunt said.

The man was described as white, wearing a green shirt or jacket and jeans.

At
12:38 p.m., the college issued this text message via the e2campus alert
system: "All students safe. No shots fired. Campus lockdown still in
effect while investigation continues."

At a
press conference held around 11 a.m. from the Ferrum Fire Department,
President Jennifer Braaten praised the quick response of law
enforcement authorities and the reaction of Ferrum College students.

A man was observed going into a residence hall at Ferrum College with a gun this morning, according to Franklin County Sheriff Ewell Hunt, resulting in a lockdown of the campus and the adjacent Ferrum Elementary School.
The man was seen by a housekeeper at Bassett Hall, who spoke to him.
The lockdown remains in effect, and buildings are currently being searched. At a press conference that began at 11 a.m., Hunt said that authorities have half of the campus secured.
Ferrum College is a liberal arts institution in Ferrum, Va., about 70 miles north of Greensboro, N.C., and 35 miles south of Roanoke.

Ferrum College's president says "no one has been hurt and no one is in panic mode" as the school near Roanoke continues in a lockdown.
School officials canceled classes and went on lockdown as a precaution today as police searched on campus for a man who reportedly had a gun.

Shortly after 11 a.m., Ferrum and law enforcement officials announced that no one had been injured, no one had been threatened, but that a lockdown and seach of campus was continuing. After students were identified and determined to be safe, they were being sequestered in a secure campus location, Franklin County Sheriff Ewell Hunt said.