UPDATE: The lockdown at the University of New England’s Portland, Maine campus was lifted late Saturday night after several hours of sheltering in place prompted by an “active threat” near the area.
The university issued the original alert around 6 p.m., after shots were reportedly fired near Bishop Street, not far from the campus. Officers with the Portland Police Department responded to a wooded area and began searching for a suspect, urging people nearby to stay indoors.
In an updated message issued at 10 p.m., the university announced. “The lockdown has been lifted for the Portland Campus. We thank all members of the UNE Community for their patience during this ongoing situation.”
Sarah Delage, UNE’s Associate Vice President of Communications, told Maine’s Total Coverage earlier in the evening that the campus was locked down as a precaution due to the nearby police activity.
"At this time, we have no reason to believe that the incident is in any way related to the university. The campus will remain in lockdown until the situation is resolved," Delage told the outlet.
Shortly after the lockdown was lifted, Portland Police confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
{{/usCountry}}Shortly after the lockdown was lifted, Portland Police confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
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ORIGINAL STORY: The University of New England’s Portland, Maine campus was placed on lockdown Saturday evening due to an “active threat.” According to News Center Maine, the university issued the alert at approximately 6:19 p.m. as police responded to an incident near the campus. The incident reportedly occurred on Bishop Street, near the Portland Recovery Community Center.
While some unconfirmed reports suggested a possible shooting, authorities have not confirmed those details at this time.