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By Ilsa Minor
iminor@dailypress.net
ESCANABA -- Just hours after a "run, hide, fight" message was sent to Bay College students and staff in error Tuesday, officers were back at the college's Escanaba campus to investigate a report of a subject carrying an assault rifle -- which was later discovered to be a prank gone wrong.
According to a release issued by Escanaba Public Safety Wednesday, officers were dispatched to the college at 11:01 p.m. on a report of a subject walking around the Bay College dormitory carrying an assault rifle, wearing a mask, and knocking on the dorm room doors.
Officers simultaneously worked with Bay College staff to review surveillance footage and interview students while searching for the suspect. Through the interviews and video, officers learned that three suspects were wearing Halloween masks and one was carrying a plastic Halloween machete.
No real weapons were involved in the incident and officers learned the students -- who were identified and interviewed -- were attempting to prank other students.
The prank followed the "run, hide, fight" message, which was sent by text and automated voice message to students and staff enrolled in the e2Campus emergency messaging system shortly before 10:20 a.m. Tuesday. According to Bay College, that message was the result of an accidental activation, but the warning of a possible deadly threat on campus sent students fleeing buildings and led to distraught messages being sent to family members.
"Thank you to local law enforcement for their rapid response, as well as students and employees who rapidly acted to exit the college as well as assist others. We understand these events can cause high emotion, and encourage those affected to seek support," the college wrote in a Facebook post published shortly before noon Tuesday.
The accidental alert was quickly followed with a message telling students there was no threat on campus.
Unlike the accidental alert, which was quickly recognized as an error by law enforcement, Tuesday's investigation into the dormitory incident involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Assisting Escanaba Public Safety and Bay College staff was the Delta County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police, and Delta County Central Dispatch.