Report of shooting at UC Berkeley prompts search for armed suspect, partial campus lockdown
A possible shooting at the University of California, Berkeley prompted a lockdown of part of the school and a search for an armed suspect, the university said.
UC Berkeley said police responded at 7:40 a.m. to a report of shots fired near the Clark Kerr Campus track and multiple law enforcement agencies were in the area around the Clark Kerr and Hill campuses.
The university said during the police response it was not safe to be outside in the area of Clark Kerr Campus and Hillside Campus, which includes the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, UC Botanical Garden, Lawrence Hall of Science, Space Sciences Laboratory, Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute, and Strawberry Canyon Recreation Area.
The school said the Hillside Campus was placed on lockdown as a result of the shooting report. A possible suspect was described by witnesses as a white male with bleached hair with red or orange highlights, wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a red backpack.
After an exhaustive search lasting several hours, no suspect was apprehended and the lockdown was lifted as of about 1:40 p.m.
"UCPD and Campus Administration have determined that there is no longer a known threat to campus and normal operations can resume, but we advise community members in the area to continue to exercise caution," the university said. "The police investigation is ongoing."
No injuries were reported.
The Berkeley Police Department told CBS News Bay Area it was assisting UC police with an active investigation and referred any other inquiries about the investigation to UCPD.
Fall semester classes at UC Berkeley begin on August 28, and the school said most students have not yet returned to campus.
UC police urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the department at (510) 642-6760.