Southern Arkansas University Tech briefly locks down after rifle scare near campus
by Kylon Williams
{p}Around 1:28 p.m., Southern Arkansas University Tech’s security was informed of a man with what was thought to be a rifle walking at the edge of the woods, outside the Arkansas Fire Training Academy (AFTA), which is around 3 miles away the main campus. (PHOTO: Southern Arkansas University Tech){/p}
CAMDEN (KATV) —
Around 12:28 p.m., Southern Arkansas University Tech’s security was informed of a man with what was thought to be a rifle walking at the edge of the woods, outside the Arkansas Fire Training Academy (AFTA), which is about 3 miles away from the main campus.
County authorities were notified of the report and began immediately searching the area for the man using a drone. Jamie Goodwin, Deputy Director, placed the main campus and AFTA on lockdown, while the investigation occurred.
The campus received confirmation of the lack of an active shooter from the County Sheriff’s office at 1:45 p.m., ending the campus lockdown.
Despite the confirmation of no active shooter, many officers stuck around to ensure the area was indeed safe.
Chancellor Jerry Thomas stated, “We take these situations very seriously and adhere strictly to our safety protocols to ensure the well-being of our students and campus community. The immediate lockdown was a precautionary measure, and I want to assure everyone that there is no active threat to our campus at this time.”
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