Police: No gunman found on UC campus

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - A possible gunman is still on the run after causing a scare at the University of Cincinnati.

The University of Cincinnati Police say that no gunman was found after searching Procter Hall and nearby buildings.

Officers say that a person with a gun was reported on the University of Cincinnati's medical campus around just after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Police say that the individual was seen on Vine Street near Procter Hall. The building is located near the intersection of Vine and Martin Luther King in UC's College of Nursing.

Police say that Procter Hall and nearby buildings have been searched and officers have given the all clear. Authorities say they believe that the suspect fled south on Short Vine.

Police at the University of Cincinnati are constantly working on ways to improve safety around campus. Technology is helping them out.

Alison Farringer is a senior this year and says the alerts used to be emails. Now, students receive text messages.

"Now that we can have it sent directly to our phones, we know immediately when it's going to happen, I think that's great," explains Farringer. "It just improves safety overall for everyone."

Interim Police Chief Jeff Corcoran says even though nothing came of Wednesday's incident, there was an "imminent threat to the safety and security of the campus community" which prompted an emergency text alert.

"As you might understand, universities are very touchy about reports of people with firearms on or near our campus, so we basically sent everybody that was on duty at this time over there," says Corcoran.

The alert system will not send a text for a criminal act such as an off-campus robbery, but students do receive some sort of notification. Corcoran adds that there has been a dramatic difference between crime on and off campus, the majority of it off campus. Corcoran says this year, the numbers are actually down a bit.

Brian Boveri says staying in touch with the entire campus with the alerts is key to helping students avoid areas with the most crime.

"[We] Definitely hear about it a lot less," explains Boveri. "I think it's gotten a lot safer since even the four years I've been here."

For more information on how you can sign up for emergency alerts, click here.  http://local.nixle.com/alert/5088225/

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