Central Connecticut State University Locked Down After Campus Shooter "Scare" That Could've Been a Halloween Costume; Campus Police Chief Says There Was No Real Threat to Anyone, Charges Likely
A Halloween costume likely sparked the incident
Central Connecticut State University declared a state of emergency and ordered a campus lockdown after reports of a possibly costumed armed man on campus also carrying what looked like a sword. "Somebody was seen either with a gun or was thought to have a gun," a university spokesperson told the press. The lockdown ended after police took three people, including at least one student, the primary suspect, into custody. They recovered no weapons, and the Hartford Courant reports that the campus police chief said there was never a threat to anyone. Nevertheless, even while acknowledging the incident "possibly could have been a Halloween costume," the campus police chief insisted it "wasn't a prank because there was concern, there was alarm."
The Courant has a photo gallery illustrating the overwhelming police response, which included cops from several local towns and state police sending two SWAT teams to the school. The first photo, of a couple embracing, is captioned "A man hugs his girlfriend as they reunite on Manafort Street as students and faculty were finally released Monday afternoon," a caption worth a thousand words.
Police say charges are likely in the incident, according to the Courant's David Owens.