Breaking: CMU denies social media rumors alleging weapon, threat in classroom
Central Michigan University officials said Facebook rumors alleging an armed person entered a classroom are not true.
A Facebook post described a person threatening and pulling out a gun in a psychology classroom last week. The incident took place on Jan 27.
In a statement, CMU said it is aware of “inaccurate posts circulating on social media” that describe the situation and noted the language used in the posts has caused concern across campus.
“We understand that the language in these posts is alarming and that the situation they describe would be upsetting to students, parents and families,” the statement said.
While the university said it cannot comment on all details due to federal student privacy laws under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), CMU emphasized that no one is in the line of harm. FERPA protects the privacy of students' identifiable information in educational records, such as transcripts.
“There was no weapon and no threat of violence to our students, faculty and staff during the incident," the university wrote.
Student Ilyssa Anderson was present in the classroom. She said an individual entered Personality Psychology wearing a tan jacket, a black snow hat, sunglasses and a handkerchief over his face. Anderson said the individual appeared visibly upset and was digging through a bag or pockets, but she did not see a weapon.
“I’m absolutely sure no weapon was ever involved,” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, the individual yelled in German during the interaction. When the professor asked if he would like to continue the conversation outside, the individual responded, “You’re my professor, not my therapist,” Anderson said. The class was then dismissed, and campus police were notified. Anderson said the incident lasted less than 30 minutes.
CMU Police responded to a call for a wellness check involving an individual inside the classroom. The university said officers located the individual, determined there was no imminent threat and no weapon, and helped connect the individual with appropriate resources.
Central Michigan Life submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the police report.
University officials said the faculty member involved, the dean of the college and other campus offices offered support resources to students who were present in the classroom.
CMU also encouraged anyone impacted by the incident or the posts shared online to seek support through the CMU Counseling Center, its 24-hour resources page, or by submitting a CMU Cares Report for additional assistance.
This is a developing story. Read cm-life.com for more information on this story.
