A message from President Schapiro

- Following is a message from President Morton Schapiro to the Northwestern community

Dear Members of the Northwestern Community,

I am extremely thankful that the report of a man with a gun in Engelhart Hall, which was made in a call to the Evanston Police Department Wednesday, turned out to be a hoax and that no members of our community were harmed. This was unquestionably a frightening incident for all of us.

I would like to thank the University Police Department, the Evanston Police Department and Fire Department and other law enforcement agencies for their swift response to this report. We appreciate deeply their dedication and professionalism. I also thank all the other members of the Northwestern staff who were involved in the emergency response, as well as all of you, the members of the Northwestern community, for your cooperation in an emergency situation.

This incident gave us the opportunity to test our response and our emergency notification processes that are used when receiving a report of an active shooter. We now will do a thorough review of the incident and our response, as we continue to refine our planning and preparedness for these types of incidents. For now, however, I hope that you join me in being grateful that no members of our community were injured. On a day when many of us joined thousands around the country in calling for an end to gun violence, we are particularly thankful that our campus remains safe.

Morton Schapiro
President and Professor