Pritchard Hall update: Building reopens, no threat found

POSTED AT 2:55 P.M. Police have concluded their search and found no evidence of gunfire.

Police have interviewed witnesses who saw and heard people, possibly students, exploding something outside Pritchard Hall. Police have found evidence of cartridges from power actuated nailers used on construction sites.

Police theorize that someone mechanically exploded the construction shells possibly by slamming the dumpster lid.

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POSTED AT 2:35 P.M. Police have interviewed witnesses who saw and heard people, possibly students, exploding something outside Pritchard Hall.

At about 12:50 p.m. Thursday Virginia Tech Police Department received a report of sounds like gunfire in the vicinity of Pritchard Hall, which is a 1,000-bed residence hall. Police immediately secured the building and began a floor by floor and room by room search. During the course of the investigation, eyewitnesses reported seeing people, possibly students exploding firecrackers or something else in or near a dumpster near Pritchard.

Police have found no evidence of gunfire from within or outside the building and believe the noises likely came from something other than gunfire.