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Fake gun causes scare at Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX
We've learned more about that gun and the student who was carrying it. We now know the gun was just a replica and the student with it meant no harm.
University police say it was a good test of their emergency alert system to the students and their readiness to respond, but one question they still have to answer is what a student was doing with a fake gun.
It was a typical Thursday night on campus. Freshmen Ellen Corn and Nicole Nash are out on their bikes.
"For a while, I was very scared because it's happened on campuses before and it's a very serious thing," Nash said.
Hours earlier, Corn got a Code Maroon text after a report of a gunman on campus.
"We saw like five or six cop cars coming with their lights, so that was kind of scary," Corn said.
University police received a report around 3:30pm of a man in Rudder Tower carrying an AK-47. Within a couple of hours, they identified him as a student who lives in Bryan and was carrying a replica weapon.
"Officers are now in their investigative mode to get more information to determine what all came about that he had this weapon or replica weapon and was on campus," Sgt. Allan Baron with Texas A&M University Police said.
University police say the student never threatened or pointed the plastic AK-47, and he is not a member of the Corps, but they do say the incident was a test of their alert system.
"It's very alarming to get these reports because of the recent incident at the University of Texas and the previous incidents that we've had across the country on college campuses," Baron said. "I think we responded appropriately."
But the text alert system is something students must register their phones for. It's something Nash hadn't done until Thursday.
"Ellen did that, and I haven't done it for my phone yet," she said. "I mean, I'm definitely going to now, but I would not have known if I wasn't with her."
Police are still investigating but a sergeant says it's doubtful any charges will be filed against the student; however, they're going to check if any university policies were broken.
