No one hurt in UNL toy gun incident, student arrested

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student was arrested this afternoon for terroristic threats after an incident with what turned out to be a toy gun in a campus building that scared students, including one who reportedly dove out a window for safety.

UNL Chief of Police Owen Yardley said a senior art major was arrested at his residence in the 900 block of Y Street about 1:17 p.m. Monday after reports that he was brandishing a silver gun outside an art class in the first floor of Richards Hall, shouting "get down," "get down," and pointing it at people. The officers recovered the weapon which was a toy gun that looked like a revolver, Yardley said.

Officers were dispatched at approximately 1:02 p.m. with officers arriving on the scene at 1:04 p.m. No one was reported hurt. Students identified the suspect who was contacted at his home nearby shortly after.

"There were a lot of scared students," Yardley said. Two classes of about 15 students witnessed the incident, with one professor hearing the commotion.

The male student is in custody. No UNL Alert was sent because the student was immediately identified and tracked to his home and promptly arrested. Counselors are offering assistance to students: Contact Counseling and Psychological Services at University Health Center at 402-472-7450.