Brandeis University Shelter-In-Place Lifted, Investigation

WALTHAM, MA — Two people who don't attend Brandeis brought a gun to the Waltham school Monday night made it all the way to a student's dorm room, where one of the visitors threatened three students, according to Brandeis officials. No one was hurt, the two "non-community members" ran off and the students called for help, prompting a lock down that lasted until about 2 a.m. Tuesday morning.

"Based on the initial investigation it appears this was not a random incident," said Brandeis officials in a statement noting they would be reviewing campus protocols in light of the scare.

Last night

Brandeis officials posted on social media about an armed subject on campus shortly before midnight. The school asked students via Twitter to "take shelter— lock doors, windows, silence cell, remain quiet—Don't let anyone in room until okayed by authorities."

The school also sent out an alert via its Emergency Notification System, saying it "received a report of an armed subject on campus." Police streamed to campus after midnight, nearby residents told Patch.

Brandeis told WHDH it was not an active shooter situation, that no injuries were reported and police had not made any arrests.

School officials first reported it as an armed robbery in a residence hall and warned students to stay behind locked doors following a report of an "armed subject on campus."

All clear

The school tweeted around 2:10 a.m. "law enforcement efforts have concluded," lifting the shelter-in-place.

"The Brandeis Department of Public Safety received a report of an armed robbery situation in a campus residence hall. They responded to the location and put the campus on lockdown. After checking all relevant areas, the individuals could not be located and the lockdown was lifted shortly after 2AM," wrote officials in a statement.

More details are not clear, but officials say it's back to normal on campus.

"Students, faculty and staff are safe, and the university has resumed normal operations," officials said in a statement Tuesday morning, adding that police were interviewing students who were involved. As of Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. public safety and school officials had not found a robbery suspect.

Reaction on social media:

A number of alumni and friends of Brandeis students took to social media after the initial report of a gun and a lock down and asked for updates.

After about an hour people complained they weren't getting updates.

Brandeis is a private university in the southwest corner of Waltham. Recent years have seen an enrollment of roughly 6,000 students.

In August, during a spate of bomb threats across Waltham, Brandeis evacuated some buildings on campus.

Previously on Patch: Bomb Threat At Brandeis Closes University

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Photos of Brandeis University and additional reporting by Jenna Fisher/Patch