A Bristol Township man has been charged following a false active shooter report at Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Township campus.
A 19-year-old man from Bristol Township’s Levittown section was arraigned before District Judge Mick Petrucci earlier this month on charges of terroristic threats causing serious public inconvenience and disorderly conduct.
Around 12:33 p.m. on May 7, balloons set off a fire alarm in the gym area of the community college’s Newtown Township campus. As people were clearing the building, someone was overheard saying there was an active shooter and panic ensued.
Community college security staff learned of the incident and sent a text message alert and email warning of a possible active shooter on campus. Within three minutes of the alert going out, the community college sent an update to announce the report was unfounded.
Police said they learned several students heard a man scream “active shooter” following the fire alarm and launched an investigation with campus security.
The 19-year-old man, according to police, was identified as the man who yelled “active shooter.” They also “determined that [the man] had no prior knowledge of an active shooter being on campus.”
The man’s bail was set at $50,000 unsecured.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
