Executive Summary
- Hawaii Pacific University sent an active shooter alert by mistake on Sunday.
- The initial message falsely indicated that a campus lockdown was in place.
- The director of security confirmed the transmission was accidental and there was no threat.
- An all-clear notification was issued shortly after the error was discovered.
Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) officials confirmed that an active shooter alert disseminated to the campus community on Sunday was sent in error. The notification, which was distributed via the university’s emergency alert system, falsely indicated a security crisis.
According to the text of the initial alert, recipients were informed that a lockdown was in place. HPU’s director of security and safety subsequently clarified to Hawaii News Now that the message was triggered accidentally and that there was never a credible threat to the campus. Following the identification of the mistake, officials stated that an all-clear message was quickly transmitted to resolve the confusion.
Emergency Notification Protocols
While this incident was resolved without injury or physical incident, false emergency alerts highlight the operational challenges inherent in mass notification systems. Such errors can precipitate unnecessary panic and potential desensitization to future warnings among the student body and staff. Standard post-incident procedures typically involve a review of the triggering mechanism—whether human error or technical malfunction—to implement safeguards that prevent recurrence and ensure the integrity of public safety communications.
