Armed intruder reported on LSU campus, officials say; students advised to ‘run, hide or fight’

Published 4:13 pm Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Officials at Louisiana State University said an armed intruder was reported on campus Tuesday afternoon.

The university posted a message on Twitter about 3 p.m. saying an armed intruder had been reported in Coates Hall and police were on the scene. Coates Hall houses academic departments and several student support services, according to the LSU website.

The message advised students and others on the Baton Rouge campus to run, hide or fight. The university later tweeted that the situation was ongoing and asked people to avoid the area.

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Classes are not currently in session at the state’s flagship university, but many students have been moving back to the school after summer break.

Police had cordoned off an area around the building with tape and several officers were present, but life on the campus appeared to go on without disruption. Students mingled at the student union across the street, and traffic flowed normally.