UMass Lowell lockdown after report of man with rifle on South Campus

The University of Massachusetts Lowell was placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after reports that a man carrying a long firearm-like object was walking near a residence hall on the school's South Campus, officials said. Students and staff were ordered to shelter in place as campus and city police searched for the suspect, who was last seen near Riverview Suites, according to university alerts.

Campus public safety sent a text at 2:37 p.m. warning of a "weapons incident" and instructing recipients to "AVOID AREA. STAY INSIDE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. RUN, HIDE, FIGHT," screenshots of the message show. Subsequent alerts described the suspect as an Asian male, approximately 55 years old, wearing a gray or white sweatshirt and black shorts and carrying a long weapon. Some social media posts and local news reports referred to the residence building as Riverside Suites; authorities said they were investigating sightings behind the residential building on Middlesex Street.

Video circulating online appears to show a person walking behind a residential building while pointing a rifle-style weapon at campus structures. Massachusetts State Police said they were aware of the video and were...