A false alarm forces faculty, and students to take cover or evacuate Bellevue University. All Bellevue Public Schools were also put in a brief lockout until administrators could ensure the students safety.
At 9:30am Friday, Bellevue Police responded to an active shooter alert at the Bellevue Univ. Administration Services Building. At least 100 people were evacuated. Officers swept the building and didn't find any evidence of an active shooter.
At the university there are phones with a message telling people to dial a number if there's an active shooter. A student apparently misunderstood that message and dialed it, officials say.
People inside said it became very real to them.
"The very first thing I did was I had just told my daughter I loved her before this happened, so I did it again and I sent one out to my son too so that's the very first thing we think about," said Heidi Deden, who was inside the building when the active shooter alert was activated.
When it is activated the alert sends a text to faculty and staff as well as police and notifies them of the situation by text and call.
People on campus feel it's an important system to have, but wonder if it can take away from other emergencies.
Police say if there was an active shooter you want to make it as easy as possible to notify them...
"I would rather it be an error and respond than the opposite," said BPD Capt. Tom Dargy.
No one was injured on Friday.
