UMass Lowell Lockdown Lifted After Armed Suspect Report
So here’s what happened at UMass Lowell on Wednesday—it was a tense afternoon that had the entire campus on edge. Around midafternoon, police were alerted to a social media video showing what looked like a man carrying a gun near the university’s Riverview Suites, which is a residence hall on Middlesex Street. That immediately triggered a campus-wide shelter-in-place order. Students and staff were told to stay inside, lock doors, and wait for updates.
Now, the important thing to note here is that this was never classified as an active shooter situation. No shots were fired, and there were no injuries reported. But given the seriousness of what appeared on that video, law enforcement took no chances. Local police, Massachusetts State Police, the FBI, ATF, even tactical units and drones were all called in to sweep the area. The scene was flooded with officers, and the presence of heavily armed teams really underscored how seriously it was being taken.
By just after 5 p.m., the lockdown was lifted. Officials said they no longer believed the individual was in the area, but they kept a large police presence on campus to reassure students and staff. Officers were even stationed outside residence halls overnight. The university also canceled all classes and events for the remainder of the day.
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Police Chief Ron Dickerson made it clear: there was never an active shooter on campus, but the possibility of someone carrying a firearm nearby was more than enough to put every precaution in place. He confirmed that the video being shared online was real, and it had been cross-checked with campus surveillance. The weapon seen in the video was described as a “long gun,” though no further details about the suspect were shared.
Students described the moment as confusing and frightening. Some were in dorms, others in classrooms, when phone alerts started buzzing in with warnings to shelter in place. One student said he initially brushed it off until he saw the official alert and realized how serious things were.
City officials and even Rep. Lori Trahan weighed in, urging people in Lowell to follow instructions from police. Nearby Middlesex Community College canceled classes at both its Bedford and Lowell campuses because of the police activity and traffic delays.
At the end of the day, everyone was safe, but the heavy response was a reminder of just how quickly a situation like this can escalate. Law enforcement emphasized vigilance, encouraged anyone with information to call 911, and made sure students knew counseling services would be available after such a stressful afternoon.
So while UMass Lowell is returning to normal operations, the investigation into who that person was—and why they were carrying what looked like a gun—remains very much ongoing. This was a wake-up call for the community, but thankfully, it ended without tragedy.
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