Armed man taken into custody at Arkansas State University

No one was injured Thursday at Arkansas State University, where police say a man drove onto campus with a shotgun, a can of gasoline and a large propane tank in the back of his truck.

“When we arrived, he was threatening himself,” Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott told reporters. “He was holding a shotgun under his chin.”

At one point, Elliott said, the man poured gasoline on his own truck. At no time did he point his weapon at officers.

The chief said the man was taken into custody without incident and will face charges.

Tim Hudson, the school’s chancellor, praised law enforcement for working together to achieve the “absolute best possible outcome.”

“There is no continuing danger from today’s incident, and the Arkansas State community remains strong,” he said.

Randy Martin, chief of police at Arkansas State University, said that he would increase the number of patrol officers working on campus for the rest of the week, but similarly stressed that authorities have no indication of any further threats.

Earlier in the day, the campus was put on lockdown.

Final exams had to be rescheduled and events were canceled, according to the school’s posts on Twitter.

Arkansas State University is in Jonesboro, about 70 miles northwest of Memphis, Tennessee.

Exit mobile version