A report of a person carrying a gun at Riverside City College prompted a massive police response and shelter-in-place orders for everyone on campus for about 90 minutes Tuesday.
“There was a witness report of a male on foot, near the Digital Library, who reportedly flashed a gun,” RCC President Claire Oliveros wrote in a message to the college community.
Riverside Police Department officers and county sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and evacuated the Digital Library, then began a methodical building-by-building search of the campus at 4800 Magnolia Ave. The college issued a shelter-in-place order shortly before 4:30 p.m.
On its social media channels, RCC posted an alert advising students and others on campus to remain inside buildings, lock all exterior doors, close blinds and remain indoors until given the “all clear.” If outdoors, students and others on campus were advised to leave the area or take cover.
An Instagram account with the handle @rcc_student_support_group posted a video showing students, faculty and staff being escorted out of the library with their arms up by authorities.
Around 6 p.m., the college announced that police had indeed given the “all clear,” although there was no immediate word on whether any suspects or weapons were found.
“There will continue to be a police presence on campus to finalize (the) investigation,” college officials announced on social media.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.