Following a lockdown of just over three hours, Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus was declared safe Monday afternoon by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The campus was placed on lockdown at approximately 11:05 a.m. on Monday after students reported seeing someone with what they perceived to be a gun near Café ’64. One Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) sergeant who serves on campus was in the vicinity at the time, and more law enforcement officers from JCSO were immediately called to the scene.
Upon a thorough investigation of campus, interviewing witnesses and reviewing security footage of the individual in question, law enforcement determined that the students who reported the possible weapon were mistaken, and the lockdown was officially lifted at 2:15 p.m.
“Above all, we are glad that all of our students and employees are safe,” said Dr. Don Tomas, President of SCC. “We are extremely grateful for the prompt and thorough response of local law enforcement. Due to unfortunate events across the country, we live in a time when we must be hyper-vigilant about any threat to campus security. We would far prefer to err on the side of showing an abundance of caution. It has been an extremely stressful and emotional day, but it’s a tremendous relief to know that everyone is safe.”
Jackson Campus day classes were canceled following the lifting of the lockdown.
SCC has Jackson County Sheriff’s officers on campus during all operating hours. For quick and accurate info during critical incidents, be sure and subscribe to our alert system: https://www.southwesterncc.edu/notifications.
