UPDATED: Threat On The SUU Campus

SUU Alert: There has been an unconfirmed report of an active shooter on the SUU campus in Cedar City. No further details are available at this time. Please be alert and notify authorities of any suspicious activity. Local law enforcement is en route. Avoid coming to campus until further notice.

A helicopter is in the air and circling the SUU campus.

As a result of the threat at the university, South Elementary and Cedar High School were placed on lockdown. Other schools in the Cedar City area were implementing secure action due to the police activity.

SUU received a suspicious phone call regarding the possibility of an active shooter on the campus in Cedar City, Utah. Please be aware of a suspect fitting the description of a white male with black hat, black shades, green t-shirt, long hair, blue jeans, 20-25 years old. All SUU Facilities are to be on lockdown. People on campus were instructed to follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating.

Police were also searching for a 2010 red colored Nissan Altima.

SUU officials received reports of hearing noises that sounded like shots fired at the Science Building at Southern Utah University.

Police are searching buildings on campus. Police are making sure anyone on campus is in a secure location.

The America First Event Center and science building along with the Old Main and other classroom buildings have been cleared. Eccles Coliseum has also been cleared.

At 10:30AM when the university indicated that the science building had been cleared they also stated, "there has been confirmation that NO SHOTS were fired."

Reverse 9-1-1 calls have gone out to effected areas of the community advising residents to shelter in place.

The helicopter that was being used to survey the campus has been released and law enforcement is now conducting aerial searches by using drones.

At about 11:45AM, Carlos Medina, Chief of Police for Southern Utah University met with members of the media for a press briefing. He told the media, "on April, 11th, 2024, at about 9:20AM, a suspicious phone call with a threat of an active shooter was received by Southern Utah University's police dispatch. After the initial alert was sent, the campus of Southern Utah University when on lockdown."

SUU police were joined by the Cedar City Police, Iron County Sheriff's Office, Enoch Police and other area law enforcement agencies. The combined forces continued to investigate and clear campus buildings. Medina noted this effort involved hundreds of man hours and expressed thanks to the cooperating agencies.

Medina went on to say, "by about 10:30AM, the SUU Science Building and its neighbors, the L.S. and Alene Skaggs Center for Health and Molecular Science Building were both searched and cleared of a potential threat, and it was confirmed that no shots had been fired."

Medina said that SUU Police were working with the FBI for information on what to do in the continuing investigation.

When asked by a reporter if the incident was considered to be a hoax, Medina responded that this was an open investigation and would not speculate.

At approximately 12:00PM, law enforcement announced that all buildings on campus had been cleared. By order of SUU President Mindy Benson, the campus was closed and will remain closed for the remainder of the day.

Just after 1:00PM, police authorized another reverse 9-1-1 call lifting the shelter in place instructions.

Also, all restriction at Iron County School District schools have been lifted.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.