No evidence of an active shooter after Hillman Library evacuated

By Rebecca Johnson, Editor-in-Chief
April 11, 2023

This story was updated at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning.

On Monday night around 11:15 p.m., a large police presence was called into Pitt’s Hillman Library following reports of shots fired. Pitt and City police responded. 

Dozens of students evacuated from the library, sprinting down Forbes Avenue. Pittsburgh Public Safety say there is no evidence of an active shooter, and there are no injuries. The building has been safely cleared, and students can return to retrieve their personal items.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said, in response to questions about people hearing gun shots, that a Pittsburgh Police officer used a gun to gain access to a locked door in Hillman Library “to clear the building of any active threat.” They said there’s no evidence of other shots fired.

A Pitt emergency notification service alert sent at 12:37 a.m. Tuesday morning said Pitt and City police responded to reports of an active shooter at multiple locations. It said the calls were “unfounded” and that an investigation is ongoing regarding the source of the hoax calls. Students criticized Pitt across social media for a delay in communicating the incident.

This is the second report of an active shooter near campus that has turned out to be false in two weeks.

Pitt representatives did not immediately respond for comment.