BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police officers, SWAT, and the K9 Unit were assisted by the Erie County Sheriff's Office and NFTA Police on Friday as they responded to a gun call at SUNY Erie City Campus in Downtown Buffalo.
Police said the call came in just before 10:30 a.m. and the large law enforcement response was "out of an abundance of caution."
According to investigators, the facility has been secured, and they confirmed there is no person with a firearm on-site.
President Dr. Adiam Tsegai released this statement:
"Earlier this morning a phone call was received at the SUNY Erie City Campus switchboard claiming that a person with a gun was seen on the 5th floor of the Post Office building. Our security team immediately issued an alert to lock down the campus and have all students and faculty shelter in place. Law enforcement units arrived within minutes and began sweeping the building, escorting anyone sheltering in place to exit safely off campus. As of 12:25 today, no individual with a gun has been found.
Law enforcement is currently on site and actively assessing the situation. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains our highest priority.
At this time, we do not have confirmed information to share beyond what has already been communicated through our campus alert system. We are working closely with law enforcement and will provide updates as soon as accurate information becomes available."
I was out at the scene and gave an update on the situation around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, which you can watch below.
Earlier Friday, 7 News received screenshots of messages to students that said:
"ECC ALERT - immediate lockdown is in effect at city campus POST Building. Secure rooms and lockdown."
"ECC ALERT - lockdown of POST BUILDING at City campus still in effect. Athletic center and 45 Oak shelter in place."
Corina Davidson, one student at the college, described the scene outside.
"We started seeing cops, ambulances, everything pull up at the school," she said.
Mac Carroll, a contractor working at the building, left right before the lockdown happened. He said he received word to shelter in place.
"We got a call saying to hide in place and lock the doors," Carroll said.
ECC Professor Brian Jank described barricading himself inside a room.
"I put the table up against the door, and then I started hearing cops going through the hallway," Jank said. "Then they tried opening the door, and it was scary for a second. I opened up the door, and it was cops with military-grade weapons."
A SWAT team went floor to floor and room by room. Police later escorted students and staff out.
No gun was found in the end. A campus official addressed whether the call was false.
John Reinholz, chief of campus police for SUNY Erie, appeared with the college's president Friday afternoon to provide an update.
"To say it was a false call would be premature. I don't want to get ahead of Buffalo PD, but we didn't see anything that would lead us to believe that there was a firearm in the building," Chief Reinholz told reporters.
No one was identified in the 911 call, but Central Police tracked it.
"That's what Central Police helped us with a lot. They were able to ping that cell phone. They were able to see the move into that cell phone, and that's something that BPD will follow up with," Reinholz stated.
"We will continue to work with the law enforcement an update will be provided as soon as accurate information becomes available. This was a difficult day," Dr. Tsegai said.
ECC Police said the response went as trailed.
"It's what we trained for. It went perfectly," Chief Reinholz said.
Carroll said his first instinct was to reach out to loved ones.
"My first thought was everyone's first thought," Carroll reflected. "I called my family and let them know I was safe."
WATCH: Buffalo Police: SUNY Erie City Campus secured after gun call; no person with firearm on-site
"The safety of our students, faculty and staff remains our highest priority at this time. We do not have confirmed information to share beyond what has already been communicated," Dr. Tsegai said.
The college president said they were able to provide on-site support services, and would encourage anyone who needs further support to contact EAP child and family services for employers at (716) 681-4300, and for students, crisis services at (716) 834-3131.
Classes and events at all campuses were canceled Friday. The college plans to resume normal operations on Saturday.
