Update: Situational awareness

Update - 8:26 p.m.

Thank you to the university community for your patience and understanding this morning while Virginia Tech Police investigated suspicious activity near Seitz Hall. Virginia Tech Police do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the university campus community.

University police will continue to investigate the incident. If you have any information related to today’s event, please contact police at 540-382-4343. Should any new developments arise that impact the safety of members of our community, you will be notified immediately and instructed as to what to do through our https://www.alerts.vt.edu/.

Virginia Tech Police continue to ask all members of our community to maintain awareness of their surroundings, not just in response to this morning’s report, but for the sake of the overall safety and security of our campus each and every day.

Virginia Tech Police take all reports that may impact campus safety very seriously, and the university is deeply committed to the safety of all individuals. If you feel that you need additional support or resources, you may contact the following offices:

• Cook Counseling Center at 540-231-6557
• Dean of Students Office at 540-231-3787
• Office of Housing and Residence Life at 540-231-6205
• Hokie Wellness at 540-231-2233 (students) or 540-231-8878 (employees)
• Employee Assistance Program
  • Anthem at 1-855-223-9277
  • Aetna at 1-888-238-6232 (company name: Commonwealth of Virginia, username: COVA, password: COVA)
  • Kaiser Permanente at 1-866-517-7042

Update - Noon

The Virginia Tech Police Department has not identified or received any additional information to suggest that there is an armed threat to the university campus community. The police department continues to investigate the incident and maintain an increased presence on campus. 

At this time, there is no information to support a recommendation to disrupt any campus activities to include classes. The message sent out this morning was shared in an abundance of caution to ensure the campus community was aware of the report. As a result of the campus notice, several individuals did provide information to the police department for follow-up.  The information was cleared and found to be unrelated to the initial call.

The police department continues to ask that our campus community maintain awareness of their surroundings, not only for this instance, but for the general safety and security of our campus every day.

Updates to this incident will be posted to the home page at vt.edu. Any urgent communications will follow the established emergency notification protocols (VT Alerts).
 
If you have any information related to this event, contact the police department at (540) 382-4343.
 
If you feel that you need additional resources, you may contact the following offices:

• Cook Counseling Center at 540-231-6557
• Dean of Students Office at 540-231-3787
• Office of Housing and Residence Life at 540-231-6205
• Hokie Wellness at 540-231-2233 (students) or 540-231-8878 (employees)
• Employee Assistance Program
  • Anthem at 1-855-223-9277
  • Aetna at 1-888-238-6232 (company name: Commonwealth of Virginia, username: COVA, password: COVA)
  • Kaiser Permanente at 1-866-517-7042

Update - 10:41 a.m.

Police continue to remain on the scene and are actively investigating. They have not been able to uncover any information to determine there is an actual threat at this time. Therefore, disrupting normal campus activities is not recommended. Members of the university community should rely on personal evaluation related to their activities today.

Resources for support are at the bottom of this page.

Original message

The morning of Nov. 16, at approximately 0650 hours, the Virginia Tech Police Department received a report of suspicious activity in the area of Seitz Hall. An employee of the university stated they encountered an individual who asked suspicious questions regarding the times of most activity on campus. The individual also stated he had a gun, but did not display one. 

The Virginia Tech Police Department immediately saturated the area and was unable to locate anyone matching the description provided by the reporting party.  The police department is investigating this incident and has yet to determine that a credible threat exists.

The suspect is described as :

• White male
• College-aged
• Subject was wearing a black hoodie, black mask, and dark-colored pants.

If you have any information regarding this incident or other suspicious activity, please contact the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-382-4343 and ask to speak with an officer. Community members may also submit information online at https://police.vt.edu/crime.html.

The Virginia Tech Police Department would like to remind all community members to:

• Be aware of your surrounding and trust your instincts.
• Report all suspicious people and circumstances immediately.
• Be cautious in confronting suspicious persons. Call the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-382-4343 or by dialing 911.

Those in the Virginia Tech community who may wish assistance or desire counseling support may contact:

• Cook Counseling Center at 540-231-6557
• Dean of Students Office at 540-231-3787
• Office of Housing and Residence Life at 540-231-6205
• Hokie Wellness at 540-231-2233 (students) or 540-231-8878 (employees)
• Employee Assistance Program
  • Anthem at 1-855-223-9277
  • Aetna at 1-888-238-6232 (company name: Commonwealth of Virginia, username: COVA, password: COVA)
  • Kaiser Permanente at 1-866-517-7042