{
  "id": "2025-03-06-ccri-lincoln-armed-suspect",
  "slug": "ccri-lincoln-armed-suspect-2025-03-06",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Community College of Rhode Island",
    "shortName": "CCRI",
    "state": "RI",
    "type": "community-college",
    "enrollment": 13000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-03-06",
    "type": "armed-person",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Man carrying an airsoft-style pistol and knives enters campus; arrested without incident",
    "headlinePublic": "Man carrying an airsoft-style pistol and knives enters campus; arrested without incident",
    "summary": "On March 6, 2025, a [911 call at approximately 12:30 PM EST](https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/03/06/ccri-lincoln-lifts-lockdown-after-police-declare-campus-safe/) reported a man threatening someone with a knife on a RIPTA bus heading to CCRI's Lincoln campus. The suspect, 48-year-old Junior Sage, entered campus carrying an airsoft-style pistol and pocket knives. CCRI's initial lockdown alert was [mistakenly sent to the Warwick campus](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/06/metro/ccri-lockdown-lincoln-warwick-ri-gun-community-college-campus/), causing widespread confusion. A corrected alert followed two minutes later. Sage was [arrested without incident around 1:15 PM EST](https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/shelter-in-place-ordered-at-ccris-lincoln-campus/).",
    "outcome": "Junior Sage was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, carrying a pistol without a license, three counts of felony assault, disorderly conduct, and obstruction. An after-action report revealed significant communication breakdowns."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2025-03-06T12:46:00-05:00",
      "channel": "multi-channel",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Quoted in Boston Globe, WPRI, and CCRI after-action report; this alert was sent to the WRONG campus in error",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "correction",
      "timestamp": "2025-03-06T12:48:00-05:00",
      "channel": "multi-channel",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Quoted in Boston Globe, Rhode Island Current, and WPRI reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2025-03-06T12:56:00-05:00",
      "channel": "official-social",
      "verbatimText": "ALERT – LINCOLN CAMPUS: Shelter in Place (office, classroom, or other safe place). Close doors/windows. Do NOT leave campus. Wait for additional instructions.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/ccri1964/posts/alert-lincoln-campus-shelter-in-place-office-classroom-or-other-safe-place-close/1061395689355113/",
      "sourceDescription": "CCRI official Facebook page (verbatim shelter-in-place post)",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim formal shelter-in-place order posted to CCRI's official Facebook page at approximately 12:56 PM EST on March 6, 2025, 10 minutes after the misdirected Warwick alert and 8 minutes after the Lincoln correction",
        "Preserves the source's en-dash in the 'ALERT – LINCOLN CAMPUS' prefix and the capitalized 'NOT' for emphasis exactly as posted",
        "Unlike the fragmented earlier texts, this message gave concrete actionable instructions (where to shelter, close doors/windows, do not leave) rather than the generic ALICE run-hide-fight language"
      ],
      "characterCount": 158
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 1:30 PM EST on March 6, 2025",
      "channel": "official-social",
      "verbatimText": "ALL CLEAR - CAMPUS: All clear. Law enforcement has determined that the campus is safe. Campus is now open for faculty and staff.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/03/06/ccri-lincoln-lifts-lockdown-after-police-declare-campus-safe/",
      "sourceDescription": "Rhode Island Current reporting reproducing the CCRI Facebook all-clear post verbatim: 'ALL CLEAR - CAMPUS: All clear. Law enforcement has determined that the campus is safe. Campus is now open for faculty and staff.'",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim all-clear posted to CCRI's Facebook page at approximately 1:30 PM EST, roughly 45 minutes after the initial lockdown",
        "The 'ALL CLEAR - CAMPUS:' prefix and duplicate repetition ('All clear. Law enforcement...') is characteristic of automated mass-notification systems that prepend a category label",
        "A press conference was held at approximately 2:45 PM EST to provide details about the incident and arrest"
      ],
      "characterCount": 128
    }
  ],
  "context": "On March 6, 2025, the [Community College of Rhode Island's Lincoln campus was locked down](https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/03/06/ccri-lincoln-lifts-lockdown-after-police-declare-campus-safe/) after 48-year-old Junior Sage entered the campus carrying an airsoft-style pistol and two pocket knives. A 911 call at approximately 12:30 PM EST had reported Sage (a 48-year-old from Woonsocket) threatening someone with a knife on a RIPTA Route 54 bus headed to the Lincoln (Flanagan) campus. In a significant communication failure, dispatch activated the ALERTUS lockdown button, and CCRI's [initial lockdown alert was mistakenly sent to the Warwick campus](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/06/metro/ccri-lockdown-lincoln-warwick-ri-gun-community-college-campus/) at 12:46 PM EST instead of Lincoln, causing confusion at the wrong location. The [after-action review](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/05/metro/ccri-campus-police-miscommunication/) found dispatchers 'appeared uncertain and under stress, relaying fragmented and incomplete information.' A corrected alert followed two minutes later. [WPRI reported](https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/shelter-in-place-ordered-at-ccris-lincoln-campus/) that Sage was arrested without incident around 1:15 PM EST and charged with eight offenses including possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. An [after-action report](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/05/metro/ccri-campus-police-miscommunication/) later published found 'significant confusion' and a 'breakdown in communication' during the response. [The Valley Breeze](https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/ccri-lincoln-campus-deemed-safe-armed-suspect-facing-eight-charges/article_6249bbd6-fb8e-11ef-9c25-bf769a8578f5.html) and [GoLocalProv](https://www.golocalprov.com/news/breaking-ccri-issues-shelter-in-place-alert-for-lincoln-campus) provided additional local coverage. A [CCRI safety report](https://www.wpri.com/news/education/ccri-safety-report-reveals-gaps-in-emergency-response-procedures/) subsequently revealed broader gaps in emergency response procedures.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The initial lockdown alert was sent to the wrong campus (Warwick instead of Lincoln), a critical communication failure documented in the after-action report",
    "The correction came just 2 minutes later, but students at both campuses experienced confusion about which location was actually at risk",
    "The after-action report found 'significant confusion' and a 'breakdown in communication', and a subsequent CCRI safety report identified broader gaps in emergency response procedures"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "CCRI Lincoln lifts lockdown after police declare campus safe (Rhode Island Current)",
      "url": "https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/03/06/ccri-lincoln-lifts-lockdown-after-police-declare-campus-safe/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Shelter in place ordered at CCRI's Lincoln campus (WPRI)",
      "url": "https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/shelter-in-place-ordered-at-ccris-lincoln-campus/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "CCRI lockdown: Armed suspect arrested at Lincoln campus (Boston Globe)",
      "url": "https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/06/metro/ccri-lockdown-lincoln-warwick-ri-gun-community-college-campus/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "CCRI campus police miscommunication (Boston Globe after-action)",
      "url": "https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/05/metro/ccri-campus-police-miscommunication/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "CCRI safety report reveals gaps in emergency response (WPRI)",
      "url": "https://www.wpri.com/news/education/ccri-safety-report-reveals-gaps-in-emergency-response-procedures/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Armed suspect arrested at Lincoln CCRI campus (Valley Breeze)",
      "url": "https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/ccri-lincoln-campus-deemed-safe-armed-suspect-facing-eight-charges/article_6249bbd6-fb8e-11ef-9c25-bf769a8578f5.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "ALERT – LINCOLN CAMPUS: Shelter in Place (CCRI official Facebook)",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/ccri1964/posts/alert-lincoln-campus-shelter-in-place-office-classroom-or-other-safe-place-close/1061395689355113/",
      "type": "official-social"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "armed-person",
    "community-college",
    "wrong-campus-alert",
    "communication-failure",
    "rhode-island",
    "after-action-report",
    "airsoft-pistol",
    "ripta-bus"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}