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False active shooter report prompts evacuation of Iowa dorms

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October 16th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A University of Iowa residence hall was evacuated after a false report of an active shooter. A university spokeswoman says Burge Residence Hall was evacuated around 5 p.m. Saturday after a student called police to report he had received a text message from a friend about an active shooter. The student’s friend urged him to contact police.

University police officers arrived as students were being evacuated. Minutes later, the student who made the initial report called the police department to say his friend had gotten back in touch with him to say he was joking.

Both students were brought in for questioning, but no arrests have been made. The incident remains under investigation. University officials say they didn’t send a campus-wide alert because they quickly concluded the threat wasn’t credible.