Police say reported shooting near WT believed to be false call or wrong address
Authorities secured an area near West Texas A&M University campus in Canyon and an alert was sent out to WT on Thursday night after a call was received about a possible shooting. Officials later determined there was no immediate threat or crime discovered from the reported incident.
"At approximately 7:45 pm, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call of a possible shooting with at least one person injured in the 300 block of 28th Avenue in Canyon," a news release from the Canyon Police Department (CPD) stated. " The Canyon Police Officers and Randall County Deputies responded to the scene. Because of the proximity to West Texas A&M University, the University Police Department began taking precautions to secure the campus."
When Canyon police officers and Randall deputies arrived at the scene, residents of the house were contacted and removed from the house. Once the residents were out, CPD's Emergency Response Team searched the house but did not find anyone else. Police said there was no evidence inside the house that a violent crime had been committed.
"The scene has been determined to be safe. Investigators believe this is either a false call or a wrong address," the release states. "No other reports of shots fired in Canyon have been reported at the time of this release. Canyon Police Detectives will continue the investigation to ensure the safety of the caller and anyone who may be with them."
WT University Police Department's Chief Shawn Burns sent out a statement Friday afternoon about the advisory issued Thursday.
"As Chief of Police of the West Texas A&M University Police Department, I want to provide details regarding the shelter in place advisory on April 27, 2023. The preemptive messages sent were based on the original call into Randall County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at approximately 7:45 p.m. of a possible shooting in the 300 block of 28th Avenue.
"Because of the scene’s proximity to campus, I felt it necessary to send a Shelter in Place notice for the safety of all students, staff and faculty. Alerts were sent out via Buff Alert mobile app, known as SafeZone, which includes push notification and SMS messages. Additionally, messages were sent through campus email, social media platforms and local news media. Those receiving messages through the public address system, which we are phasing out, were notified of a lockdown because of the system’s limitations.
"University Police were in constant contact with Canyon Police and Randall County as they cleared the scene. Once the scene had been determined safe, an all-clear message was distributed to campus in the same manner as above. The original call was determined to be either a false call or wrong address according to Canyon Police. Canyon Police Detectives will continue to investigate.
"University Police officers work to keep the community safe by regularly training and preparing for emergency situations like the one which occurred yesterday. Additional UPD officers were recalled to help secure and protect the campus.
"We highly encourage all students and WT employees to download the SafeZone mobile app for receiving emergency notifications immediately to a mobile device. If you have any questions, please contact our department at 806-651-2300.
"Thank you for your support and trust in the University Police Department officers and personnel. Providing safety and security for West Texas A&M University campuses and local communities is our highest priority."
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Call about shooting being investigated as false or wrong address
