By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
WEST LONG BRANCH – – An unknown armed suspect attempting to rob students prompted the campus police department to place Monmouth University on lockdown on the evening of Nov. 1.
The first emergency notification from the university’s police department occurred at 9:52 p.m. and alerted students that a man had been seen with a gun. The notification also told students that they should stay indoors until further notice, according to Monmouth University’s website.
At 10:26 p.m., the university posted two updates explaining the reason for the sudden lockdown and that the suspect was captured by police.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., two students reported that a black male, standing approximately 6-3, wearing a hooded black sweatshirt and stocking mask as well as a backpack, pulled a handgun on them and demanded their cell phones. The female students turned and fled the scene. The suspect then fled through a tunnel, according to school’s website.
By 11:57 p.m., Monmouth University posted that the weapon had been recovered and the lockdown had been lifted.
Monmouth University operated today, Nov. 2, on a normal schedule, according to the last update that was posted at 1:05 this morning.