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Reports Of Gunman At Indiana's IUPUI Campus

by Celia Darrough

A tweet from the University of Indiana-Purdue University Indianapolis about a gunman on campus urged students to take shelter immediately on Tuesday afternoon. It read, "IUPUI Alert! A subject with a gun has been reported running toward campus from the 700 Blake. Take safe shelter. Lock door. Follow official instructions." No shots have been reported fired at the campus, which is in the midst of finals week.

Update: No suspect has been located, but the lockdown has been lifted and exams will continue. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is continuing to investigate, and there will be an increased police presence for the rest of the night.

An armed robbery apparently took place in the 700 block of Blake Street near the same time. During that alleged incident, a cell phone and wallet were reportedly taken. IUPUI confirmed that the gun scare on campus began as an armed robbery, that no injuries were reported in that event, and that police are continuing to chase leads. A Facebook post from the Indiana University Emergency Alerts page described the suspect and warned students to "trust your instincts and take safe shelter in the nearest available room. Lock the door if possible. Remain in place until the police or a campus administrator known to you gives the ALL CLEAR."

Colleges across the nation have felt tense over the past few months in the wake of shootings that have occurred around the country, like the one at Umpqua Community College in Oregon which left nine people dead. Lockdowns like this have seemed more frequent, with Community College of Philadelphia, University of the Incarnate Word in Texas, Palm Beach State College, and North Carolina Central University all having them in recent months.

Several students took to Twitter to write about the alleged gunman, with several pointing out that this isn't the first time IUPUI has faced shooting fears. On Nov. 22, the campus was on lockdown after a shooting occurred between "parties who were known to each other." In late July, five people were injured in an officer-involved shooting at an apartment north of campus. And in May, two people were shot at a party across the street from campus.