Cosumnes River College was placed on lockdown Thursday after the Los Rios Police Department was notified of criminal activity on campus, according to a Los Rios email.
The Elk Grove Police Department was in pursuit of a vehicle that had crashed on Bruceville Road, said Public Information Officer Kristie West. The EGPD contacted the LRPD after the driver fled onto campus, prompting the lockdown.
“Depending on what the incident is, we send out what we call a Rave Alert,” West said. “Once the situation has been resolved, an All Clear Rave Alert will be sent out letting the campus community know that the campus has been secured.”
The lockdown lasted from 4:15 to 4:35 p.m. as police searched for the suspect and a possible weapon. During the investigation, students and faculty received a text message telling them to “lock doors immediately, avoid windows, stay quiet and await further information.”
While no weapon was found on campus, a replica gun was discovered at the crash site, according to a Los Rios email.
Radio, television, and film professor Mun Kang was teaching a radio and podcasting class when an emergency alert appeared on the screen projection. Kang said he followed directions by locking the door, turning off the lights and telling students to sit on the ground.
“We’re [faculty] taught ‘run, hide, fight,’” Kang said. “If you’re leaving campus, leave campus. But if you’re with a class, lock the doors and turn off all the lights.”
Melody Jolie Nguyen, a 19-year-old business and economics major, was working as an instructional assistant when her math class was notified of the lockdown.
“I think the shelter-in-place was pretty effective. It made me less nervous about everything,” Nguyen said. “I’ve never experienced one [a lockdown] on the CRC campus, so it was kind of interesting to see how they send out a text and a call to all the students.”
LRPD Officer Philip Vang advised students to utilize the blue emergency phones and safety escorts on campus. E-phones connect directly to dispatchers, who can then send officers to the caller’s location.
Campus police are located in the Operations and Public Safety building. Information about additional safety resources can be found on the LRPD website.