September 5, 2025

On Wednesday afternoon, September 3, 2025, University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) slammed its doors tight with a campus-wide shelter-in-place order. Why? Police were chasing a man seen carrying what looked like a firearm on campus! The buzz started when someone spotted the man near South Campus, and the university quickly acted to keep everyone safe. A quick heads-up came from the university’s website: “Police from UMass Lowell and the city of Lowell were alerted this afternoon to reports of a male on South Campus carrying an object suspected of being a firearm. There was no report of a shooting.” To keep students and staff secure, all classes and events were cancelled for the rest of the day. Massachusetts State Police jumped into action too. They told the public on X (formerly Twitter) that a video showed a man carrying a rifle near the Riverview Suites dorm on Middlesex Street. They even asked everyone with info to call 911 immediately. The Lowell police warned people to avoid streets like Middlesex, Pawtucket, and Broadway because they had ramped up their presence around 4 p.m. The FBI didn’t stay behind the scenes either. FBI Boston tweeted, “FBI Boston is on scene and coordinating with our law enforcement partners. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and avoid the area.” Inside the campus, a total lockdown was in place south of campus. Card access was restricted on the north and east sides, and buses stopped running. Text alerts sent after 2:35 p.m. warned everyone to shelter in place as officers hunted for the suspect. Screenshots shared on social media described the search target: a 5-foot-5 Asian man in a gray or white sweatshirt and black shorts, carrying a long weapon. Though the scary sighting triggered fear, a Lowell police spokesperson told MassLive by 3:40 p.m., “there was not an active shooter on campus.” UMass Lowell’s quick and clear communication helped keep people calm during the tense hours. They promised, “As soon as we have verified information, we will share immediately via text alerts, email and our website.” So far, no shooting has been reported, and the hunt continues to keep the community safe and sound.

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Tags: Umass lowell, Shelter-in-place, Police search, Firearm sighting, Campus lockdown, Public safety,