THE LATEST
The Los Angeles Times is reported that the evacuation at Pierce College is due to a warning that a man carrying a weapon might show up on the campus in San Fernando Valley. That threat was reportedly made over social media. The college has not updated its Twitter feed with details about the threat, which sheriff’s deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the LA Times. So far, no gunman has actually been seen on or around the campus.
Police are attempting to figure out if that threat is credible, but administrators at Pierce College decided to shut down the campus as a precaution. A student tweeted that midterm exams were scheduled for today. College officials cancelled classes for all day today, so apparently students who have midterms have another day to study.
Pierce college on lockdown the day of my midterm ????
— Melissa Orellana (@MelissaSofiaa) October 16, 2014
Approximately 21,000 students attend school at the two-year community college.
PREVIOUSLY
Pierce College officials have announced on the school’s social media pages that all students are being evacuated due to an “unknown threat.” They are telling students not to go to campus. The college is located in Woodland Hills near Los Angeles.
EMERGENCY ALERT * PIERCE COLLEGE IS BEING EVACUATED DUE TO AN UNKNOWN THREAT. * DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS * Please… http://t.co/boYuFriBWr
— Pierce College (@PierceCollegeCA) October 16, 2014
Police officers are staging near the campus. There are Twitter reports that the evacuation is due to threats made against the college on social media, but those reports have not been confirmed.
