SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 22, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — University of Utah police and the student housing office have released additional information on a residence hall incident over the weekend that sparked rumors of an active shooter.
There was never an active shooter in the incident, which began late Saturday and continued into the early hours of Sunday morning, officials say.
What did happen, according to newly released information, is that an intoxicated student entered the Sage Point residence hall at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, and began to bang on the door of a suite he believed to be that of his friend.
“When the female residents of the suite did not open the door, he reportedly said he had both a knife and a gun and threatened to harm the residents,” the police/housing officer statement says.
Building residents began calling 911, the statement says, adding that at about the same time, the drunken student realized he was on the wrong floor, and left to find the correct suite a floor below.
“At the same time, another male resident of the floor messaged that he was responding to the commotion,” the police statement says. “When police encountered him in the hall, he told them he had a concealed weapon permit and a gun in a holster on his hip.”
The update doesn’t say when officers arrived, but an earlier statement says they arrived on scene at about 1 a.m., which would have been more than an hour after the intoxicated yelling and loud threats.
“When University Police responded, they detained the armed ‘Good Samaritan,’ the intoxicated student and his friend for questioning,” the update says.
The student who had claimed to be armed with a knife and gun was not armed, the police statement says.
“At 1 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, with the aggressive actors detained, police went door to door to make certain all residents were safe. The student who made threatening statements has been referred to the Dean of Students for discipline.”
Frustration
Police found there was no further threat, but students and their parents have expressed frustration about the way that information was communicated to them, the police statement says. The University issued its initial statement about the incident at 5 p.m. Sunday.
“University leaders are working to develop a more timely communication pathway with resident advisors and all Housing and Residential Education residents for imminent situations in the future,” the police’s Tuesday update says.
Keith Squires, Chief Safety Officer, said efforts will be made to improve communication.
“We acknowledge how traumatic this whole experience has been for the students in this residence hall and throughout our student housing,” he said in the update. “We have learned from this incident and will implement changes immediately to improve our real-time communication methods and follow-up.”
University Safety victim advocates are working with the victim-survivors in this case, the police statement says, adding that anyone impacted by the incident is encouraged to reach out to victim advocates at the Student Wellness Center and at University Safety.
