UNI Campus Locked Down

Although residence halls on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls remain in lockdown, a potential threat appears to have been averted. A man who made threats toward a female resident of Dancer Hall is currently being questioned by law enforcement, according to eyewitnesses.

Update 7:54 p.m. — Campus is no longer in lockdown. Official word is released that the suspect was taken into custody in the Des Moines area, roughly a two-hour drive from the UNI campus.

Further coverage of the situation as it developed is located below the fold.

Minutes ago officials at the University of Northern Iowa used their newly established emergency alert system to warn of a possible gunman on campus.

The alert, which also posts to the university web site, cautioned students and faculty to stay away from Dancer Hall. No new updates have been distributed via the alert system and Little information is currently available.

A second alert, distributed roughly 30 minutes following the first vague warning about Dancer Hall reads:

“UNI Police have received a threat of a gunman coming to campus to confront a student in Dancer Hall. Dancer Hall is locked down. Please stay away from the towers area — Dancer Hall, Bender Hall and Towers Center. More updates to follow.”

Students located on campus are receiving frequent verbal announcements via audio systems.

All dorms on campus are currently locked down, requiring students to use keys to enter the facilities. A university spokeswoman said that a threat made by telephone prompted activation of the alert system.

A UNI student and friend, both signed up to receive emergency alerts, have stated that the new system worked perfectly. Both received text and voice messages advising them of the potential danger on campus.

Eyewitnesses are also reporting that it was a boyfriend of a Dancer Hall resident who made the threat. The dorm resident is the person who reported the potential danger to the authorities. There is currently no word if the suspected gunman actually entered the campus, but law enforcement continues to hold vigil.

Dancer Hall is located at the north end of campus, near Towers Center and parking lots that serve the Price Lab and Campbell Hall.

UNI officials only recently completed their first full-scale test of the new emergency alert system. Similar to those adopted by the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, the UNI alert system is able to send voice, email and text messages to students, faculty and staff within minutes. Alerts were also integrated to include the UNI homepage and are anticipated to be expanded to include a campus-wide loudspeaker system.

The university’s nearly 13,000 students and 2,000 faculty had been updating emergency contact information for more than two months prior to the first full-scale test at the end of February.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier has comment from a sophomore student who has been in a room on the 12th floor of Dancer Hall since 5:20 p.m. Courier staff is also reporting that doors to the dorm are being protected by members of the Cedar Falls Police Department and campus security.