Emergency Alert Triggers Panic and Confusion at Coles Co. Campus

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CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Students at a university in Central Illinois were on edge Monday due to reports of a potential “armed individual” on campus.

The situation at Eastern Illinois University became quite perplexing after claims surfaced regarding a man allegedly carrying a firearm. Law enforcement from the university, along with officers from Charleston, Mattoon, and the Coles County Sheriff’s Department, quickly mobilized to address the situation.

UPDATE: EIU returns to normal operations following a report of an ‘armed individual’ on campus.

University officials disclosed that the alert was prompted by a call from an unidentified source, which was later deemed unconfirmed and unreliable. Nevertheless, they emphasized the importance of treating such reports with utmost seriousness.

Despite the report being labeled as not credible, many students found the situation quite unsettling.

“It definitely caused a lot of panic,” shared Caydence Krainock, a freshman at EIU. “We were unsure of the person’s location, police presence was noticeable, and details were scarce. However, we understood the need to stay on lockdown for our safety.”

“The communication was just not there fully. It was very scary for a lot of people,” she said.

With little information, students said that there wasn’t much they could do.

“Just lock your doors and pray, I guess,” John Howaniec, another freshman at EIU, said.

He had just gotten home from practice when his morning plans changed.

“I found out from my teammate, who was in math class. He texted saying that they were on lockdown and shut down for an active shooter. So, I had a 10 a.m. class that I did not attend. I also did not attend my 11 a.m.,” he shared.

Krainock was also in a dorm when the campus was on lockdown. However, both students were worried for their peers.

“It was for sure uneasy, like thinking about your teammates and your fellow classmates, for sure uneasy,” Howaniec said.

Krainock said she was on the phone with friends as police activated emergency protocols, including building walk-throughs and checking surveillance cameras.

“I was getting texts from other people saying that police were running by with masks and guns by their classroom,” Krainock shared.

It was shortly after, they got the “all clear.”

“I would say it was about an hour later that we got a follow-up alert,” she said.

EIU officials said that they did not find any person matching the report, and so campus operations could resume as normal. However, fear was still lingering.

“I know I’m definitely scared to walk across campus to go to my classes and stuff, and so were a lot of other people,” Krainock said.

EIU officials said the safety of their students, employees and community remains their top priority.