Tension stirred at UNC Charlotte this week when police conducted a traffic stop near the Wallis Hall dormitory that led to a brief flurry of campus alert activity. According to QC News, the incident occurred when a vehicle, reported stolen from Concord, was pulled over on Cameron Blvd. Inside the car, two suspects and an infant were discovered. As one fled on foot and was later arrested, the other suspect was detained at the scene. Officials emphasized the infant was unscathed during the event.
Compounding the day’s commotion, an erroneous NinerAlert sent a wave of alarm across the campus with an incorrect subject line signaling gunfire – a report ultimately deemed inaccurate. Even as police secured the situation, it was words, ricocheting through phone screens, that sowed the greatest confusion. WSOC-TV noted that campus officials later clarified there was no actual threat to campus safety.
The university, in response to the erroneous alert, has pledged to conduct a review of their alert system. In a statement obtained by WCNC, officials admitted, “The University is investigating the issue to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” They continued to extend an apology for the “confusion and concern this error caused,” acknowledging the distress the incorrect alert may have incited amongst those it reached…