"Earlier today, The University of New Mexico Police Department was made aware of a situation involving a man brandishing a weapon in a couple of instances at separate locations near campus and on campus at the Duck Pond. UNMPD responded immediately to the area and conducted a thorough search of the campus for the suspect. A LoboAlerts advisory was issued to notify the campus community. UNMPD, as well as the Albuquerque Police Department, searched the campus and the surrounding areas near campus for the suspect, who was last seen walking south towards Central Ave. At 1:30 p.m., APD arrested a possible suspect, who matched the description of the offender described in this case. He was apprehended at Lead and Yale SE. However, the investigation is ongoing at this time.

"In light of the horrific shooting in Florida yesterday, I want to assure the campus community that all of our emergency management protocols were followed given the facts as they were reported to UNMPD. I have complete trust in UNMPD, our emergency management team, and APD, who are well-versed and ready to act to ensure the safety of one and all in these types of situations. Given the senseless school shootings that continue to occur on a seemingly regular basis, the safety of our campus community is of paramount concern to the UNM administration. The campus community, including faculty, staff and students, are always urged to use caution, to be aware of your surroundings and to immediately report anything that may seem out of the ordinary. UNM will also conduct a review of our processes and procedures for handling emergency situations to ensure this situation was handled in the best way possible."

If you have any information regarding this incident or if you ever notice any suspicious behavior, please contact the UNM Police Department at 505.277.2241 immediately.

For more information about campus safety, visit UNM Campus Safety.

Chaouki Abdallah
UNM President