Search of Univ. at Buffalo library for suspicious person, possibly with gun, turns up nothing

Search of Univ. at Buffalo library comes up empty

AMHERST, N.Y. — A search of a library at the University at Buffalo’s suburban Amherst campus came up empty Tuesday after school police received a call of a suspicious person entering the building, possibly with a gun.

“We have no reason to believe we have any threat to campus,” said university spokesman Joe Brennan, who added that classes will resume Wednesday. The person in question was never found.

University police issued the e-mail alert about Lockwood Memorial Library about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday and announced an hour later that evening classes were canceled.

Freshman Claire Kerstein’s English class was on the bottom floor of the building when a librarian came in and, without explanation, ordered everyone out.

“I basically ran out as fast as I could,” said 18-year-old Kerstein of Rochester. “I just wanted to make sure I was going to be safe. There were a lot of police all around the building.”

Gerald Schoenle, chief of university police, said the initial call came from a student who reported seeing a man enter the library, possibly carrying a rifle under a navy peacoat.

Schoenle said they checked the school’s surveillance video and saw someone possibly fitting the description but couldn’t tell if that person had a gun. That’s when they decided to evacuate the building, he said.

“We had a great test of our emergency system,” said Schoenle, who added that campus security had increased patrols Tuesday night.