A person cracking a whip on the campus of Virginia Military Institute on Tuesday night prompted reports of an armed person on campus and a large police response from both local and state police.
VMI officials later determined that a loud noise sparked concerns about gunfire and that there was never any danger to the public.
VMI sent a statement to staff and cadets Wednesday morning saying a local juvenile who was not affiliated with VMI cracked the whip outside of the barracks.
The incident was first reported to the public around 11 p.m. by Washington and Lee University, where officials told students to seek shelter immediately or avoid campus until further notice due to a possible armed person at VMI.
VMI alerted the public about the incident via social media around midnight, writing that state and local officials were investigating and that all students on post had been notified.
Around 12:30 a.m., VMI issued a statement saying that the situation was under control.
“After an active investigation with multiple agencies, it was determined that an object was used to make a noise outside of barracks that sounded similar to gunfire, which led to calls to police,” officials wrote. “There is no evidence of gunshots fired. All students who were on post at the time of the calls are currently being accounted for. There is no threat to the community.“
W&L lifted the lockdown on its campus shortly after 12:30 a.m.
VMI’s Office of the Chief of Staff said in the statement Wednesday morning that they are reviewing what happened and their response.
“Please know that VMI is reviewing its safety and security protocols, including external communications, and discussing the details of last night’s situation, as we would do with any emergency scenario,” the chief wrote.
The News-Gazette spoke to VMI media relations specialist Marianne Hause, who said school officials were meeting Wednesday to discuss safety protocols further. Hause said the juvenile involved in the incident is not currently facing charges. That person’s name was not released.
The News-Gazette is working to learn more about this developing story.
