UPDATE 7:09pm
Local police have concluded their search for the suspect, according to the Ithaca Times. Cornell has also lifted its “shelter in place” order and promised a “heightened [police] presence on campus.” The suspect is still at large, though no longer thought to be in the Cornell area.
UPDATE 6:07pm
The Cornell Review‘s analysis of the TCAT stops not currently being serviced appears to show that the search area has been reduced in Cayuga Heights. The Ithaca Voice reports, “The shelter in place order has been reduced from five to a one mile radius around 23 Renwick Heights Road in Cayuga Heights.”
UPDATE – 5:27pm
Ithaca.com has reported new details on the pursuit. Two suspects have been apprehended, and one is still at-large. “The Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Special Response Team (SRT) are leading the search effort,” the Ithaca.com reported.
UPDATE – 5:02pm
Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina sent a statement to the Cornell community. He urged those in buildings “within a one-mile radius of the last known location of the gunman” to continue to shelter-in-place.
Malina added, “All Cornell Dining facilities on North Campus will be open at 5:00 P.M. and unaffected.” He also said, “Events and activities in other areas of campus may take place as scheduled.”
UPDATE – 4:55pm
TCAT has released the following update, “Routes 81 & 82 back to normal. Routes 30, 32, 31-41 now moving, but on detour.” The statement also read, “Continue to expect delays, but routes 30, 32, 31-41 are now moving again following the lockdown, but they are still unable to serve parts of Triphammer Rd. and Cayuga Heights area.”
UPDATE – 4:24pm
Cornell University sent a new Cornell Alert saying, “All events scheduled on North Campus tonight are cancelled.” The university added that all prelim exams scheduled for tonight will also be rescheduled.
Original Article
Just two days after a slew of emergency alerts locked down large sections of Cornell’s Central Campus, Cornellians attending class today were startled yet again by another emergency alert. This time the emergency is an active police chase in Cayuga Heights, which is just north of North Campus.
The alert was released at 2:11 pm via phone call, text message and email. It warned that the man being pursued is armed and potentially dangerous, and recommended residents of North Campus shelter in place and lock doors and windows. A second round of alerts was released at 3:27 pm, conveying the same message.
Several buildings and dining establishments on the north side of central campus closed within minutes of the announcement, including the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library and Franny’s food truck. Bus lines to North Campus have been shut down, including “routes 30, 32, 31-41 and 81,” according to an announcement released by Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT).
In addition, all COVID-19 testing centers on campus have been closed. However, Cornell has updated its Daily Check program to allow students get tested tomorrow “without penalty.”
The alert notifications show a notable improvement in Cornell’s communication since Sunday, specifically in detailing the nature and location of the emergency. On Sunday, the original alert messages did not clarify what the emergency was, only advocating for evacuation of parts of central campus. Cornellians were left to theorize about the nature of the emergency for nearly an hour before subsequent alerts revealed that there had been a bomb threat.
This is an ongoing story.
