Campus Alert Archive
CWU

Active-shooter report at Lind Hall determined to be unfounded after multi-agency response

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
WAactive shooteremergency notificationmedium confidence
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UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On the evening of February 6, 2019, a student's overheard remark about a threat cascaded into a false active-shooter alarm at Central Washington University's Ellensburg campus. After ROTC protocol triggered an evacuation of Lind Hall, a county-wide emergency notification went out at 5:25 p.m. PST reporting an active shooter in the building. Five law-enforcement agencies responded and cleared every building before an all-clear was given at 7:27 p.m. PST. There was no shooter and no one was hurt.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Central Washington University
Public Masters · WA
All CWU cases →
~12,000 studentsRaveCWU Alert
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimCWU official emergency response update page and multiple news outlets (KREM, KHQ, Yakima Herald) all confirm this as the exact CWU Alert sent via SMS, email, and voicemail at 5:35 p.m. PST on February 6, 2019128 chars
CWU Alert: There has been a report of an active shooter in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus. Stay out of the area.
Verbatim text confirmed: CWU's own emergency response update page and multiple news outlets (KREM, KHQ, NBCRightNow) all document this exact CWU Alert text sent at 5:35 p.m. PST on February 6, 2019 via the Rave system.
A separate county-wide Kittcom notification was sent at 5:25 p.m. PST -- ten minutes earlier -- but that was directed only to other law enforcement agencies, not the public.
CWU also tweeted the same text at 5:58 p.m. PST; the 5:35 p.m. PST SMS/email/voicemail delivery on February 6, 2019 was first and is the primary public-facing alert.
ALL CLEARTwitter/X+1h 52m
Verified verbatimKHQ (Spokane) and NBCRightNow both directly quote this as the verbatim CWU all-clear tweet issued after a building-by-building search confirmed no shooter on campus on February 6, 2019101 chars
University police reported that all buildings have been secured and the campus is safe and all-clear.
Verbatim text confirmed: KHQ Spokane and NBCRightNow both quote this exact CWU all-clear tweet issued at approximately 7:27 p.m. PST on February 6, 2019 after five agencies cleared all campus buildings.
The approximately two-hour response window -- 5:35 p.m. PST initial alert to 7:27 p.m. PST all-clear on February 6, 2019 -- reflects how long it took five law-enforcement agencies to systematically clear every campus building during a false-alarm active-shooter response.
The absence of 'no shooter was found' language in the all-clear is notable: CWU simply confirmed buildings were secured rather than explicitly acknowledging the report was unfounded.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

CWU Alert: There has been a report of an active shooter in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus. Stay out of the area.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree the source is present; it opens with the branded CWU Alert signature.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", a branded sender signature.
    2. present: The "CWU Alert" branded signature identifies the sender.
    3. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    4. present: Opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    5. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    6. present: The message opens with "CWU Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    7. present: The branded signature "CWU Alert" identifies the sender.
    8. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    9. present: It opens "CWU Alert", a branded sender signature.
    10. present: The branded signature "CWU Alert" identifies the sender.
    11. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    12. present: The branded signature "CWU Alert" identifies the sender.
    13. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    14. present: The branded tag "CWU Alert" identifies the sender.
    15. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", identifying the Central Washington University sender.
    16. present: The "CWU Alert" tag identifies the sender, Central Washington University.
    17. present: The signature "CWU Alert" identifies Central Washington University as the sender.
    18. present: The branded "CWU Alert" identifies Central Washington University as sender.
    19. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    20. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", identifying Central Washington University as the sender.
    21. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    22. present: It opens with "CWU Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    23. present: It opens with the branded signature "CWU Alert", identifying the sender.
    24. present: The branded signature "CWU Alert" identifies the sender.
    25. present: The "CWU Alert" signature identifies the sender.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree the hazard is present; it reports an active shooter.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    2. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    3. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    4. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    5. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    6. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    7. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    8. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    9. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    10. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    11. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    12. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    13. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    14. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    15. present: It reports "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    16. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific hazard.
    17. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    18. present: It names "an active shooter in the area of Lind Hall," a specific threat.
    19. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    20. present: It names the hazard: "an active shooter".
    21. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    22. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    23. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    24. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
    25. present: It names "an active shooter", a specific threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree the location is present, citing the area of Lind Hall on the CWU Ellensburg Campus.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It says "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    2. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    3. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    4. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus".
    5. present: It names "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    6. present: It says "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    7. present: It locates it "in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", specific places.
    8. present: It names "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    9. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    10. present: It says "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    11. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    12. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    13. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    14. present: It locates it "in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus".
    15. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    16. present: It locates it "in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus".
    17. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a precise location.
    18. present: It cites "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus," a specific place.
    19. present: It locates it "in the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    20. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus".
    21. present: It says "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    22. present: It names "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific place.
    23. present: It names "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a specific location.
    24. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a named location.
    25. present: It specifies "the area of Lind Hall on CWU Ellensburg Campus", a precise location.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree guidance is present; it tells recipients to stay out of the area.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    2. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    3. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    4. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area".
    5. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    6. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    7. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    8. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area".
    9. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    10. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    11. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    12. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    13. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    14. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    15. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    16. present: It instructs "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    17. present: It instructs to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    18. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area," a protective action.
    19. present: It instructs to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    20. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area".
    21. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    22. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area."
    23. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    24. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
    25. present: It instructs recipients to "Stay out of the area", a protective action.
  • Timeabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree time is absent; no clock time, date, or recency cue appears.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as "now" appears.
    2. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears in the text.
    3. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears (active is part of the hazard).
    4. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    5. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears, since "active" is part of the hazard.
    6. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active shooter" is hazard not time.
    7. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active" is part of the hazard.
    8. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    9. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue is present.
    10. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active shooter" is the hazard, not a time cue.
    11. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "active" is part of the hazard.
    12. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    13. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" appears.
    14. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word like "now" appears in the text.
    15. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" appears in the text.
    16. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as "now" appears.
    17. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "active shooter" is the hazard, not a time cue.
    18. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    19. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    20. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word is present.
    21. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears.
    22. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active shooter" is part of the hazard.
    23. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    24. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears in the text.
    25. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
  • Impactabsent3/25

    Final assessment

    Absent by a strong 22 to 3 majority. The alert reports an active shooter and tells people to stay out of the area but states no harm or consequence beyond naming the hazard.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: It reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or severity.
    2. absent: This reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but does not state any explicit danger or potential harm.
    3. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or severity.
    4. absent: It reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area but does not state any harm or how dangerous it is.
    5. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area without stating any harm or severity.
    6. absent: This reports an active shooter and tells people to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or consequence beyond naming the hazard.
    7. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no harm, injury, or severity.
    8. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or severity.
    9. absent: Reports active shooter and to stay out of the area without stating any harm or potential consequence.
    10. present: The report of an active shooter implies a lethal threat to people in the area.
    11. absent: Reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area without stating any harm or consequence.
    12. absent: It reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area but states no explicit harm, injury, or consequence.
    13. present: Reporting an active shooter and to stay out of the area implies a danger of being shot.
    14. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but only names the hazard without stating its potential harm.
    15. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm beyond naming the hazard.
    16. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but does not state what harm it could cause.
    17. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or severity.
    18. absent: Names a report of an active shooter and to stay out of area but states no explicit harm or consequence.
    19. absent: Reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area but states no consequence or harm.
    20. absent: Reports an active shooter and says stay out of the area but states no potential harm or consequence.
    21. absent: Names a reported active shooter and tells people to stay out of the area but states no consequence or severity.
    22. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but states no explicit harm or consequence.
    23. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area without stating what harm could result.
    24. absent: Reports an active shooter and to stay out of the area but does not state any harm or severity.
    25. present: Reporting an active shooter and instructing people to stay out of the area implies a lethal threat.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

According to the university's own timeline reported by the Spokesman-Review and KREM, Ellensburg Police told CWU Police at 4:13 p.m. PST on February 6, 2019, about a student making threatening statements. At 4:38 p.m. PST CWU Police asked the Case Management office to lock their doors; that conversation was overheard by a student who told staff in Lind Hall there was an active-shooter threat. ROTC protocol began evacuating Lind Hall at 5:15 p.m. PST, and at 5:25 p.m. PST a county-wide 911 notification reported an active shooter in Lind Hall. Five agencies responded and searched every building, finding nothing, and the Seattle Times confirmed the all-clear came at 7:27 p.m. PST. CWU President James Gaudino said 'the events of Wednesday night resulted from overheard words.' The university later sought $3.28 million for security upgrades.
Analysis

Key Findings

A false active-shooter alarm at a public master's university grew entirely from a student overhearing police discuss an unrelated threatening-statements case
The most consequential message, the 5:25 p.m. PST county-wide notification, came through the 911 system, not from a confirmed CWU Police observation
The response spanned about two hours and five law-enforcement agencies before a 7:27 p.m. PST all-clear on February 6, 2019; no shooter existed and no one was hurt
CWU subsequently requested $3.28 million in state funding to upgrade its security and notification systems
Outcome
No active shooter existed. The alarm originated from a student overhearing CWU Police discussing a separate threatening-statements case. CWU later requested $3.28 million in state funding to upgrade campus security systems.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Central Washington University given 'all clear' after active shooter report, lockdown - The Spokesman-Review
    spokesman.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    CWU Pres. breaks down how rumors triggered active shooter alert - KREM
    krem.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    Report of active shooter at Central Washington University was false alarm - The Seattle Times
    seattletimes.com
    archived copy
  4. News
    Central Washington University requests $3.28 million for security after false shooter report - The Seattle Times
    seattletimes.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Central Washington University: Active-shooter report at Lind Hall determined to be unfounded after multi-agency response." Incident of February 6, 2019. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/central-washington-university-false-active-shooter-2019-02-06/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
active-shooterfalse-alarmwashingtonemergency-notificationcwu-alertrumorlind-hallUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion