By Shelly Williams/editor-in chief
TR police were on alert for a short time Nov. 17 after a student reported seeing a person with a possible weapon on campus.
The report came in at 10 a.m. as a student reported spotting a Hispanic male in his 20s, wearing a black hooded jacket with a possible cap underneath, carrying a backpack with a black handle sticking out of it, TR Lt. Toni Owens said.
The student reported it as a possible weapon, she said.
The campus was not put on lockdown, but students matching the general description were asked by TCC police to open their backpacks.
No weapon was found, and after an hour and 15 minutes of checking restrooms and belongings, officers felt the area was safe, she said.
“There was no threat of a weapon, but we wanted to verify and make sure what it [the call] was,” Owens said. “The people that did meet the general description voluntarily opened their backpacks.”
She said no one denied the search, and officers applauded how courteous everyone was during the incident, but that the call came in 30 minutes after the sighting.
“We want to encourage students to report things immediately, even if they aren’t sure of a situation,” she said. “Don’t wait. Go ahead and call.”
