OXFORD, Ohio —
Police have given the all clear after a report of gunfire led to an “active threat situation” alert being issued at Miami University Thursday afternoon.
According to the university, around 2 p.m., the Butler County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting shots fired in or near McGuffey Hall. The university’s police department also received reports of shots fired from a student in a classroom.
That prompted a RedHawk Alert at 2:11 p.m., with messages urging students to “run, hide, fight.” Around the same time, students reported seeing a large law enforcement presence outside McGuffey Hall.
See WLWT morning headlines in the video above
Officers responded to the scene within a minute, along with the Oxford Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. Officers spokes with witnesses who stated the noise sounded more like fireworks.
Officials later gave the all clear after finding no evidence of gunfire or anyone injured in the area. Out of abundance of caution, officers searched the building and surrounding area and no threat was found.
The university then sent out an “all clear” message, saying it’s safe to resume daily activities. The university did cancel the rest of in-person classes for the evening.
Nick Morre, a junior who was inside the building, described the chaotic moments after hearing a loud bang.
“In my classroom, everyone just started, like, barricading the doors. I mean, I don’t—it was honestly kind of a blur. I was really scared for a good, like, 5 or 10 minutes. You know, call my mom,” Morre said.
He added that his mother texted him during the incident, asking if he was safe. “She was like, are you okay? Are you safe? I was like, yeah, I’m safe. Like, no one knew what was going on at the time,” he said.
Although the campus received the all-clear, the incident left many students visibly shaken. University police emphasized that student safety is their top priority, with multiple agencies responding to the scene.