The Catholic University is in Shelter in Place a Second Night

Tower Staff

The University is on lockdown for a second straight night following separate reports of an armed suspect on campus.

The campus community was informed via email, phone call, and text message at 8:08 PM by the Rave alert system saying, “The Metropolitan Police Department and the CUA Department of Public Safety are on campus in response to a possible armed suspect.” The notice told students to “Shelter in Place until notified.”

Helicopters have been heard flying over the campus.

Early Tuesday morning, the campus community was notified with similar information ina 1:13 AM RAVE announcement regarding a threat made Monday night.

The official crime report by the Metropolitan Police Department noted that the December 7 incident took place in Pangborn Hall after a custodian said he was held at gunpoint at 10:37 PM by a man who demanded direction to the “administration building,” claimed to be affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group, and claimed he was going to plant a bomb on campus.

According to the report, he was described as a “middle eastern male, late teens to early twenties in age, thin build, tall 6’0-6’5 in height, wearing a blue dress shirt, black blazer, black dress pants, black pointed dress shoes and had a tan crossover bag.”

After directing the man to Leahy Hall by pointing, the unnamed custodian said he did not see where he went.

It was not immediately known whether the two incidents are related.

The University asked students to call 911 or 202-319-5111 if they had anything to report.