Executive Summary
- University of St. Thomas locked down campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis on Monday.
- Alerts sent at 12:45 p.m. instructed students and staff to shelter in place.
- University officials are coordinating the response with the St. Paul Police Department.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The University of St. Thomas initiated a lockdown of both its St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses on Monday afternoon following reports of an active threat. According to university officials, emergency protocols were immediately activated to secure the facilities and protect the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
In an email alert distributed at approximately 12:45 p.m., campus security directed individuals to shelter in place. A university representative confirmed to KARE 11 that students and staff have been instructed to remain inside secured buildings until the lockdown is officially lifted. The specific nature of the threat has not been immediately disclosed by university administrators.
Law enforcement officials indicated that the university is coordinating closely with the St. Paul Police Department to manage the situation. Authorities are currently on-site assessing the threat and securing the perimeter of the affected campuses.
Campus Security Response
The immediate activation of shelter-in-place orders underscores the heightened state of readiness required for urban educational institutions facing potential security breaches. The collaboration between campus security and the St. Paul Police Department suggests a unified command structure aimed at rapidly isolating the threat and verifying the safety of the campus community. As the investigation remains fluid, law enforcement efforts are likely focused on a systematic sweep of the facilities to ensure the threat is neutralized before normal operations resume.
