The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

A black student with a glue gun triggered a lockdown at Colgate University. Here’s what happened next.

May 2, 2017 at 1:01 p.m. EDT
Colgate University. (Mark DiOrio)

On Monday night, Colgate University officials warned that there was an armed person on campus and advised people to find a safe place. For several hours, the campus remained locked down.

Everyone was safe. There was no gunman, police later determined. But many students were angry when they learned the reason for the alarm: Someone called Colgate’s Campus Safety when they saw a black student who had a glue gun that he was using for a school project.