When testing new warning system students and staff were mistakenly alerted to a campus ‘lockdown’
Students and staff at the University of Ottawa received a shocking email this morning, alerting them to a “violent aggressor” on campus. Fortunately, the message was a false alarm. The university had been testing a new email warning system, and the message had been inadvertently sent to 3,000 people. The warning declared a “Lockdown” was “in effect” and carried the text: “Violent aggressor {in/at XXX location}. Stop all activities. If possible, close and lock the door, and turn off lights. Silence cell phones. Keep away from doors and windows. If it is safe to do so, close blinds. Take cover and remain quiet until authorities instruct otherwise.” A spokesman for the university told the Ottawa Citizen that the message was clearly part of a template email, but apologized for any confusion.